HERE we go again. The future of the Market Square is back on the agenda and already raising hackles.

The saga of whether or not to pedestrianise the Square has been rumbling on since 2005 when the county council first unveiled three options to redevelop the area.

Traders and residents rejected the proposals then and have still not changed their minds.

These plans have been put on hold twice before — and always end up back on the table. In 2009, the plans were pulled out from the back of the cupboard, dusted off and put out for consultation.

Again they attracted controversy and a petition of almost 6,000 signatures was presented to the council. At the time, councillors agreed to put the proposals on hold until the town centre development was completed.

Now the plans look set to rear their head again. The county council says it expects to make a decision by the end of the year.

Residents and traders have spoken loudly and for long enough of what they want to see in the Market Square. We think everyone will agree it is tatty and desperately in need of some tender loving care.

But, with so much happening in Bicester and so many changes, it would be good to keep part of Bicester as it was — and the Square was the heart of the town.

So, come on, councillors, listen to what people are saying. By all means, tidy it up and improve the aesthetic of the area, but don’t make major changes. We like it as it is.