Haslingden market refurb to begin
A £500,000 refurbishment of Haslingden Market is set to get under way by the end of March and by early summer will provide an exciting outside shopping experience for visitors.
Rossendale Borough Council – which is investing £200,000 in the project – has chosen Aura Heritage Ltd, of Cheadle, as contractor, while the architects are Wilson Mason, of Samlesbury.
The work, also financed by £300,000 the council has secured from the UK Shared Prosperity Funding, will make the market a vibrant meeting place with a new sheltered seating area covering half of the market space.
Haslingden will be the first of three Rossendale markets – the other two Bacup and Rawtenstall – to be extensively refurbished over the next two years.
An open air ‘flexible area’ is to be constructed which is hoped will be used for music and theatre performances with temporary seating, mini festivals and one-off artisan markets.
To make way for these two areas the fix-table-top stalls will be demolished and replaced with picnic-style tables where people can socialise while enjoying a variety of street food cabins sited down one side of the market.
A new eye-catching steel structure and roof will create cover for the benches.
Four cabins along one side will be used by permanent stallholders selling traditional market fare while another will be available for occasional traders.
Permanent metal canopies will replace the retractable fabric ones presently fitted to the cabins providing improved rain cover.
And the natural stone finish will be restored to its original colour. Roller shutters will be sprayed with bright colours to enhance the overall appearance.
Cllr Adrian Lythgoe, Lead Member for Environment and Corporate Services, said: “Refurbishing the market is a vital part of the regeneration of Haslingden Town Centre.
“It creates a valuable opportunity to grow the local economy and to provide affordable premises for new businesses as well as providing a much needed community area where people can meet and socialise.
“As can be seen around the country, and locally at Rawtenstall, the success of modern markets is the provision of food. And I am sure that the wide variety of quality food and drink offerings at the market will be very popular.”
A major part of the work will be providing new paving throughout the market to address issues such as the inaccessible gradients which will be made softer. The paving will be stone-topped concrete providing a natural stone finish to match the cabins.
Lighting is to be significantly improved with the Victorian-style lamps serviced and decorated. Existing external lighting mounted to the trader stalls is to be replaced with contemporary energy efficient fittings, and new festoon lighting is to be provided throughout.
As part of the landscaping works to Deardengate a large amount of cobble setts are being removed and reused within the market creating zones at the entrance to each trader stall.
The public toilets, which have been closed since Covid, are to be refurbished and reopened.
Entrances from Blackburn Road and Ratcliffe Road will have impressive new metal archway gates to welcome visitors. The council-owned car park on the adjacent John Street will serve the market.
Extra to normal market days Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, street food will also be served on Sundays.
While the renovation work is being carried out the market is expected to be closed for around eight weeks.
The council is looking for a new range of traders for when the modernised market opens and is now taking enquiries.