Preston’s new market won’t be opening in time for Christmas.
The £4million project will see the new glazed structure ready for use – but traders have decided to wait until early next year to move in,
Preston City Council has announced the new market would begin trading on Monday 4 December, but has now postponed this move.
Traders in the current market have asked to spend a final Christmas in the current building.
Taking shape under the grade-II listed Outdoor Market the new market has a glazed surround, and will be complemented by a box market, made from shipping containers, under the covered Fish Market canopy.
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Leader of the city council councillor Peter Rankin said: “We are really pleased with how the works are progressing on site and I have to say what a great job Conlon Construction and the Frank Whittle Partnership are doing to keep to the construction programme. We have been working closely with the market traders throughout and we understand that they want the best opportunity to fit out their stalls to the highest possible standard.
“We appreciate that a new year opening will enable traders to get everything just right for their new market stalls whilst focusing on their businesses over the busy Christmas period.
“We now look forward to the opening of the Market Hall in early 2018 with great excitement.”
The delay for the new market doesn’t affect the existing outdoor market traders and second hand markets, who are due to begin using the restored and repaved space under the Outdoor Covered Market during November.
They are currently trading under the Fish Market canopy but will move to make way for the work starting on the box market.
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Chairman of the Preston Market Traders Association Sam Livesey said: “We are all working to the same objective: to create a fantastic destination market that Preston can be proud of. The building is already looking great and my members want to make sure that their stalls are finished to a high standard to complete the picture. We think this would be best achieved by an early 2018 opening, hence our request to the Council.
“The added bonus is that we can have a successful last Christmas in the old indoor market before we say goodbye to it and it is demolished next year. We look forward to serving our loyal customers from our old home throughout the Christmas period before we move to the new Market Hall.”
The city council is still set to receive the new market hall from Conlon Construction in early December – but it will stand empty for at least a month.
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No set date for the market opening has been given other than ‘early 2018’ and a council spokeswoman said they hoped to confirm a new timescale in the next week or so.
The list of traders going into the new market and any new traders opening is also yet to be confirmed.
What do you think of the new opening date? Do you use the markets? Let us know in the comments below