Agenda item

The Director of Tourism, Culture & Inward Investment will present a report providing members of the commission with details of the proposed option for the redevelopment of Leicester market, the rationale behind the proposal and to invite members to comment as part of a consultation period that runs until December 9^th 2024. After the consultation period has ended a final decision will be confirmed.

The Director of Tourism, Culture & Inward Investment presented a report providing members of the commission with details of the proposed option for the redevelopment of Leicester market, the rationale behind the proposal and to invite members to comment as part of a consultation period that would run until 9th December 2024.

The City Mayor introduced the item and noted that:

• The Market had been an important space in the City Centre for over 700 years.
• The space over recent decades had been under cover and was seen as inflexible.
• The covered market of the twentieth-century had hidden buildings such as the Corn Exchange and the rears of the buildings on Gallowtree Gate and Cank Street.
• When the latest roof had been taken down for replacement, it had initially been planned to replace it like-for-like.  However, once it had been taken down, many people had said that the space was something special.  The removal of the roof had enabled views of the Corn Exchange and other architecture and facades at the rear of Gallowtree Gate, which had been retained due to planning intervention when the other side had been developed.
• Initially the following alternatives were considered:
  • Continuing with the original plan to reinstate a market in the whole area in front of the Corn Exchange.
  • Keeping the market on Green Dragon Square – this was seen as not viable as it was too constrained.
  • Constructing a new market space on Cank Street.
  • Discontinuing the market altogether
• Traders had been met with to discuss ways of creating flexible space and also bringing stalls back onto the site.  The City Mayor noted trader representatives had proposed a smaller scheme than had been originally designed, with a new market building in front of the existing Food Hall.
• This plan would create around 48 stalls under cover which would be capable of being dismantled for special events, but would also be well covered and a good trading environment. This proposal was now out to consultation.
• The consultation would close on 9^th December. It was noted that in the first week since the proposal had been released more than 800 responses were received, with more than half being positive about the proposed option.

The Commission was invited to ask questions and make comments.  Key Points included:

• Concern was raised that there now only appeared to be one option out for consultation. 
•  Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) did not seem to be addressed in the plan.  It was suggested that Jubilee Square had some of the highest levels of crime in the city.
• A question was asked about how traders had been engaged to have their views taken in to account.

Due to issues in the public gallery, the Chair, explained the process for representations and suggested that a separate meeting be held to discuss the issue.

AGREED:

1)    That the update be noted.

2)    That comments made by members of this commission to be taken into account by the lead officers.

3)    That a separate meeting be held to allow scrutiny oversight of the issue.