£4.5m market revamp begins
2:00pm Monday 28th January 2013 in Local
£4.5m market revamp begins
THE first moves have been made on the £4.5 million facelift of Bolton Market.
Contractors Willmott Dixon started work yesterday by depositing 12 containers under the canopy at the far end of the outdoor market.
Another 14 containers will be delivered during the week.
The 20ft by 8ft containers will temporarily home non-food stalls from the indoor market while the revamp of the market’s eastern hall takes place.
The traders will be moved in February and are expected to be moved back into the refurbished building in time for Christmas.
Improvements will include refurbishing the roof on the fish market, replacing the roof on the eastern hall, which houses the non-food section, and introducing additional indoor food stalls and a seating area in the eastern hall.
The roof over the western hall, which houses the fresh fruit and vegetable traders, will also be repaired.
Vehicles will be able to access the market from Moor Lane with extra parking spaces, including disabled and parent and child spots.
The outdoor market will move to New Street, nearer to the proposed transport interchange.
A spokesman for Willmott Dixon said: “The intention is to move the traders back into the market at the end of the year and it is predicted the revamp will finish by next April.”
Comments(26)
Harry-Joe
says...
2:02pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Puffin-Billy
says...
2:06pm Mon 28 Jan 13
If it ain't broke, break it,
then we can be seen to be fixing it !
Love Bolton
says...
2:13pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Like most things in life a refresh of things you value is very important to keep them alive and in use. This is to make what we have even better.
I do feel sorry for traders having to be outside though - brrrrr.....
tony000
says...
2:27pm Mon 28 Jan 13
tony000
says...
2:29pm Mon 28 Jan 13
tony000 wrote:was the roof not done a few years ago am sure it was so why is it being done again.bad workmanship .
now till xmas .this will kill the town center once and for all shopping in containers no thx .
annew
says...
2:40pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Phil from Smithills
says...
2:55pm Mon 28 Jan 13
.
Along with the new proposed bus station ( closing Moor Lane bus station )
will be the final nail in the coffin.
.
I hope I am wrong, and that it is all a huge success, time will tell.
Marzi30
says...
2:55pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Lulu15
says...
4:53pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Beyond News Forum
says...
6:38pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Phil from Smithills wrote:It is exactly what happened last time. I'm thinking in another 15 to 20 years they will waste another 8 million replacing this expensive mistake which is what they did last time. The market should be developed back to the way it was when it was a market that filled up shoulder to shoulder with shoppers.
No-doubt the £4.5m outlay will be recouped by increase to stallholders rent which will be passed on to the customer which will drive people away.
.
Along with the new proposed bus station ( closing Moor Lane bus station )
will be the final nail in the coffin.
.
I hope I am wrong, and that it is all a huge success, time will tell.
My family traded on the old market for 25 - 30 years before the change, we know that what they did back then killed the market. They tried to 'Covent Garden' the market very cheaply. LOL it didn't work then, and now time will tell if the market will ever get back to the boom(ish) days of old. Personally speaking I think no manner of investment will pull shoppers away from traditional markets such as Bury. Ask any trader on Bolton market and they will say the same, but agree that they must try anything to bring back shoppers. I welcome the idea in principle and the investment, but surely leaving the bus station where it is would benefit shoppers rather than making them drag their shopping half way across town?
hatonfire
says...
8:00pm Mon 28 Jan 13
The market is much improved now to what it was 15yrs ago and investment will keep it that way for years to come.
Beyond News Say's that nothing will pull shoppers away from Bury market, well I can only assume that Beyond has never been to Bury market. not a patch on Bolton.
dougie kay
says...
8:29pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Andy Higham
says...
8:41pm Mon 28 Jan 13
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£49 Million bus station re-vamp
And the council is always bleating and whineing about being skint.
Is the reason for putting the bus station next to the train station so people can travel to the train station by bus, get on a train and f**k off to do their shopping elsewhere
colournature
says...
9:43pm Mon 28 Jan 13
BWFC71
says...
11:48pm Mon 28 Jan 13
Andy Higham wrote:The £49 million isn't directly coming from Bolton Council - there is private investment, money from Brussels (yes we do get money back from them!) and the rest is coming from TfGM - a local Gvt quango owned by the 10 councils of Greater Manchester and uses a fraction our money from council tax!!!
£4.5 million market re-vamp.............
.
£49 Million bus station re-vamp
And the council is always bleating and whineing about being skint.
Is the reason for putting the bus station next to the train station so people can travel to the train station by bus, get on a train and f**k off to do their shopping elsewhere
Beyond News Forum
says...
11:08am Tue 29 Jan 13
hatonfire wrote:Oh behave, I have been there on many occasions. Full to brimming in comparison to Bolton Market.
It's good to see the council are looking to the future and planning ahead.
The market is much improved now to what it was 15yrs ago and investment will keep it that way for years to come.
Beyond News Say's that nothing will pull shoppers away from Bury market, well I can only assume that Beyond has never been to Bury market. not a patch on Bolton.
It might not be pretty to look at, but as with Ashton, the market is a swarming beehive compared to a quarter full glass that is Bolton's.
Don't get me wrong I would love to see a booming Bolton market. Those days are long long gone. You need to take the rose tinted glasses off.
fatboybwfc
says...
10:28pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Try going to a traders meeting and then judge not rights
fatboybwfc
says...
10:32pm Tue 29 Jan 13
fatboybwfc
says...
10:32pm Tue 29 Jan 13
fatboybwfc
says...
10:34pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Love Bolton wrote:you and the other 30 000 who come every week
Plans look amazing - as a weekly shopper in the market I can't wait.
Like most things in life a refresh of things you value is very important to keep them alive and in use. This is to make what we have even better.
I do feel sorry for traders having to be outside though - brrrrr.....
fatboybwfc
says...
10:36pm Tue 29 Jan 13
Harry-Joe wrote:market hall was sold to a private company and does not belong to the council,as the building was knackered,hence the market is being done up
Fix it dont change it! look what they did to the market hall!
Harry-Joe
says...
8:46am Wed 30 Jan 13
darrenrw
says...
2:27pm Sat 2 Feb 13
BWFC71
says...
8:46pm Sun 3 Feb 13
Harry-Joe wrote:Nothing, just boarded up land and buildings, like at The Odeon, the old Wateplace (which is currently being used to store yellow tubing), the old Bolton College, just like ALL the buildings between Manchester Road and Great Moor Street of Bradshawgate, just like the bottom part of Great Moor Street, and many other parts of Bolton Town Centre - don't forget teh town is THRIVING according to Morris and cronies!!!!
Also what will replace the current bus station when the new one opens near the train station?
I honestly cannot see why its being done up considering that the bus station is moving and it will be more difficult to get to - which will mean less footfall for the place. It will be the enxt place to be closed or sold for more empty retail units!
BWFC71
says...
8:52pm Sun 3 Feb 13
fatboybwfc wrote:Truth is the building wasn't knackered - and that is a FACT!!
Harry-Joe wrote:market hall was sold to a private company and does not belong to the council,as the building was knackered,hence the market is being done up
Fix it dont change it! look what they did to the market hall!
The Market Hall had only just been done up, resealed, new windows, and made safe for at least another 50 years, just 10 years previous!!! If it was the case that the building was knackered then why didn't teh council persue the contractors from the 10 years previous to claim compensation for a shoddy job???
In fact the council saw a quick buck to make money, without realising the consequencies such as it was a one-off payment and no futher annual income from the place - and then they wasted the money on speed humps, white-lining roads, stupid island extensions and of course way-above inflationary pay-rises for the councillors!!!
steveG says...
1:54pm Mon 28 Jan 13