The Market canopy lit at night

Preston’s revamped outdoor market is to house 25 permanent traders according to the formally lodged plans.

Three food units and outdoor stalls are also to be included under the restored Outdoor Covered Market.

The Fish Market is also to get ‘trading shipping containers’ alongside the temporary car boots and flea markets.

What the trading booths on the Fish Market may look like

This would see a reduction in the number of stall spaces, with the current outdoor market able to run 140 stalls when running at full capacity, excluding the current Indoor Market stalls of which there are 122 stalls and kiosks. It is not known at this stage which of the stallholders will be moving into the new market, but the city council has set aside money to compensate any who do not move.

A light glazing is to be applied under the 1875 market to give protection from the elements for the core of the central stalls. A total of 760 square metres of trading space is being provided.

Related: Snapshot of Preston Indoor Market being captured for eternity

It is proposed stallholders will move into fixed units, with designs from Leicester market shown as examples of the kind of stalls we will see.

A high quality market stall at Leicester Market, the kind the city council says will be in the newly refurbished covered market

The current Indoor Market is due for demolition, along with the Market Hall car park and Lancastria House although the frontage of the art deco building is earmarked to be kept.

A new multi-screen cinema is to replace the current Indoor Market building and also a selection of family-friendly restaurant chains.

The view from Orchard Street looking up towards the Markets

Muse Developments, the firm co-ordinating the markets plan, formally lodged the £50m markets plan in late April – derailing a cinema and restaurant plan from the Fishergate Shopping Centre on the same day.

Regional director Mike Horner said: “The proposals are a great opportunity to provide much-needed leisure facilities for the city and we’re confident that the proposed scheme, along with a quality cinema operator, will offer something different, bring families back into the city centre, create jobs and become a catalyst for further investment.”

Related: How Preston’s city centre cinema battle played out

The full markets planning application is available to view on the city council website and any comments on the application can be left there.

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