Mike Dalzell, Head of Economic Regeneration at Leicester City Council, will provide an update on the redevelopment of Leicester Market.
Minutes:
Mike Dalzell, Head of Economic Regeneration at Leicester City Council, outlined the proposals for the development of Leicester Market, drawing attention to the following points:-
· A new food hall would be built for use by the indoor food traders. This would be very lightly connected to the Corn Exchange by a high level glazed roof;
· A new square would be created where the old market hall currently was standing. Detailed design work was being done for this and consultation on the proposals would start in mid-July 2013. Current proposals for the square included:
o An informal play area for children;
o A statue of the suffragette Alice Hawkins; and
o The Roman mosaic would be relocated from the end of the Fish Hall;
· The new square could become a high quality food and drink location;
· There would be a new building at the back of the Corn Exchange, which it was hoped would be let to a high quality private enterprise, (for example, a restaurant);
· The back of the Corn Exchange currently was unsightly, with services and fire escapes being located there;
· Lifts and stair access to the higher level of the Corn Exchange would be installed, to encourage people to use the upper level. No final decision had been taken yet on what this level would be used for;
· Some preliminary works were being done now, but work on the main building would start mid- July 2013 and end mid-December 2013;
· Traders would move in to the new food hall in mid-January 2014, so that their Christmas trading was not interrupted;
· Some works would be done to the highway, so that the current road was brought up to the same level as the surrounding area. This would be completed by the time the new food hall opened;
· As well as the fresh food traders, the old market hall also housed some dry goods traders, public toilets and significant storage. As such:
o The dry goods traders would move in to the old energy office, part of which also would be used for attended public toilets;
o The market management office and the customer service office would move to next to this; and
o Lock-up storage would be provided near the public toilets and by Café Bocha;
· The former Priceless Shoes premises had been acquired. Approximately two-thirds of the premises would be used for traders’ storage during the redevelopment. When the development was complete, a recycling facility would be put in the basement and some storage for traders would be retained on the premises;
· The old market hall would be stripped out during the first six months of 2014;
· Everards had been invited to produce some ideas for improving Molly O’Grady’s. These could include re-orientating the pub to face the new square; and
· It was anticipated that the whole scheme would cost approximately £7 million.
Residents suggested that the open area at Market Corner had not been very successful due to the weather, but Mike Dalzell explained that there were many examples of open spaces of this type across the country that worked well. He suggested that it was more likely that the area was not big enough and had empty shops and trading areas in the food hall around it, which discouraged people from going there. Uses for the open area proposed under the redevelopment were being considered, but suggestions so far included the continental market, farmers’ markets and music performances.
In response to concerns that areas around the market already had a lot of activities going on in them, Mike Dalzell confirmed that there were sufficient opportunities for activities to be successful in all of these areas, as the future of the city centre was more than just shopping. It was hoped that the Cheapside approach could have colourful temporary market stalls, to draw people in. The market would become part of the linked areas that the City Mayor was keen to create in the city centre, (for example, Jubilee Square, Applegate, the Cathedral precinct and the Richard III Visitor Centre), and it was hoped that the redevelopment also would help draw people away from Highcross.
It was acknowledged that seating around the city was poor. Proposals to help rectify this by including seating in the new market square were included in the consultation on the market redevelopment.