£500,000 Haslingden Market renovation gets council go ahead

Plans to transform Haslingden Market were approved by Rossendale Council’s planning committee with work scheduled to start by the end of March.

It is hoped the revamp will be completed for a big launch on Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

The market is to become a vibrant meeting place as a new sheltered seating area is to be created covering half of the market space.

The new market area will have a vibrant ‘flexible area’ for multiple uses. (Image: Rossendale Council)

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 new fixed canopies will be erected on the 12 market cabins to help shelter customers from the weather.

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 – that visitors have complained about around the site.

The new paving will be stone-topped concrete paving providing a natural stone finish.

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.

While the renovation work is being carried out it is likely that the market will be closed for an eight-week period.

Councillor Adrian Lythgoe said: “The renovation work will bring new life and energy to an area which has become dowdy and dull over the years.

"It will be a focus to all of the work that we are carrying out in the centre of Haslingden.

The new market area will have a vibrant ‘flexible area’ for multiple uses (Image: Rossendale Council)

“Not only are we hoping that the Big Lamp Deardengate project and the new-look market area will attract local residents back to the town centre but also visitors from out of the area.

“Hopefully, when the new market reopens some of the empty stalls will be taken up by traders like greengrocers, cafes and street food vendors.”

Rossendale Council is controlling the whole of the project in collaboration with architects Wilson Mason LLP and quantity surveyors Gosling Consulting.

Contractors for the main tender will be able to make applications from December 8.

Wilson and Mason have created a branded colour scheme for the market and one example will be a brighter look to the roller shutters from the present dark green.

It is hoped to paint other bland areas with repeatable colour patterns using spray paints and stencils which children from a local high school have been invited to take part in.

The work – for which £300,000 will be provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £200,000 by Rossendale BC – will go out to tender for the main contractor later this month.