Manchester looking streets ahead

A “bright new look” is heading for the streets of Manchester city centre, thanks to fresh investment from the city council.

Five stalls, which have sold everything from records to fruit and veg on Church Street for decades, will be demolished and replaced by a modern steel and glass structure housing 11 stalls.

The £300,000 from Manchester City Council will see the arrival of a new structure, which they say will also look attractive when closed with shutters decorated with bright street art murals.

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s spokesman on the city centre, said: “This is an exciting project that will provide an attraction for shoppers to cross High Street Manchester looking streets ahead from the Arndale market and draw them towards other businesses in the Northern Quarter of the city centre.”

Mark Legomski, Head of Manchester Markets, added: “We have all the finance in place and planning permission agreed so we plan to start work on demolishing the old stalls, which have become rather tired, and start rebuilding the new-look market towards the end of January next year.

“The existing stallholders have been offered stalls and we already have traders lined up for the additional six stalls, which is planned to include a food outlet.”

While the eradication of decades of tradition is usually frowned upon by those it involves, Mark McCall who has sold fruit and veg on Church Street for 30 years remained positive hailing the move as the ‘dawn of a new era’.

“There’s incredible affection for this market, and many of our customers have been coming here for decades,” he told local media.

“It’s undoubtedly the dawn of a new era, and I hope that the venue never loses any of the individuality which makes it so popular.”

Bookseller Eddie Hopkinson, who has ten years on Mark, added: “The investment in this market is very much to be welcomed.

“There is slight concern among stallholders about the short length of the three-year leases we are all being offered - particularly as it’s going to cost each of us thousands to kit our new stall out.

“But this will hopefully be resolved in the fullness of time.”

Martin Hellewell, a spokesperson for Manchester City Council, told Market Trader that the current traders would be relocated somewhere on Church Street “close to their present location” while the work is carried out at the start of January 2010.

He added that they are aiming for a quick turnaround with the new units complete and ready within four weeks.