Market traders are back on the move
ROCHDALE market is set to move again. Stalls will be relocated to a temporary home on Lord Square, at the bottom of Yorkshire Street, from their current, also temporary location, next to the Metrolink stop on Smith Street on September 16.
It’s because the final phase of site investigations for the £100m Rochdale Riverside development is set to begin around Smith Street in the coming weeks - and the market’s permanent new home on The Butts isn’t ready yet.
Council chiefs had hoped the market would be up and running by the reopened River Roch by now alongside a food hall and indoor market in the former Santander building.
When the proposals were first unveiled in October 2016 it was slated to open by the following Easter.
But now the council say the ‘timescale has been extended to allow the proposals to be improved’.
It comes after a survey of the Santander building found it had ‘more potential than originally envisaged’.
Work to adapt and renovate the building is now set to start in the next few weeks.
Council leader Richard Farnell said: “It’s full speed ahead for our fantastic Rochdale Riverside development, the jewel in the crown of Rochdale town centre’s regeneration programme. “The relocation of our temporary market means we can continue to have a market offer in the town centre while this crucial work takes place, which is really important to us.
“Our new permanent town centre market, which will feature a greater variety of stalls, with a particular focus on fresh food, is very much in progress.
“We are now looking at improved proposals for our indoor offer to make the best use of the old Santander building.”
The contractor for Rochdale Riverside, which will see about 25 shops, including new Next and M&S stores, a Reel cinema and restaurants built on the area around Smith Street and Baillie Street, is due to be formally appointed after the site investigation work is complete.
A small number of parking spaces will also be out of use on the Milton Street West and East car parks, as well as the bottom of Penn Street, while the site investigations take place. The work, which will start on Monday and last around four weeks, will be done in phases to minimise disruption, with around 20 spaces set be out of use across the car parks at any given time.