'All options open' over new market

Published date01 July 2022
Publication titleHuddersfield Daily Examiner
Asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) if it was committed to the new market project even if trader numbers are low and the cash doesn't materialise, the authority said "all options are open"

The 1970s Queensgate Market is to be revamped and turned into a food hall as part of the £210m "cultural heart" project, which itself is at the core of the wider £250m Huddersfield Blueprint.

A new combined indoor and outdoor market is planned across town at Brook Street.

Currently 32 stallholders operate 37 leases in Queensgate Market. Of that total 17 wish to surrender their leases and take compensation, 14 are planning to take compensation and move to a vacant shop in the town centre, and six want to relocate to a new market. On the basis of those figures the council says a relocated market is not viable.

The council has also confirmed that it will not be moving market traders into metal shipping containers, which was mooted earlier this year. A spokesperson confirmed that no containers had been bought for Huddersfield.

The decision-making Cabinet will meet next week to decide whether to accept the traders' proposal on compensation and relocation. If it agrees then the council will save almost £1m on projected set-up costs, management and services.

However there will still be a cost - as yet unknown - to tax-payers as the authority has agreed to work with

What do

Write to: letters@Huddersfield Examiner, House, Leeds, traders who wish to move into vacant shops, and to give them "full support". That means cash for relocation costs will be borne by the council and not taken from compensation payments. In response to a request from the LDRS to detail the...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT