New Rochdale market opens next week

The site of the new Rochdale market

The new Rochdale market will open on the former 'Black Box' site in the heart of the town centre on Thursday 22 January, weeks ahead of the original plan to open on this site in February once a specialist market operator had been appointed.

All current market traders have been given the opportunity to move to the new location and the Council has promised to accommodate all existing traders as far as possible.

The new market, in a prime location next to major public transport links, will benefit from quality cabin-style units which have been provided by the council and will operate for six days a week initially, with the flea market taking place as usual on Tuesdays.

Councillor Richard Farnell, Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “When it became clear there would be a gap in trading when the market was moved to the old municipal offices site, I instructed council offers to look at ways to ensure stallholders could continue to trade until a new specialist operator was appointed to run the new market. Staff have worked extremely hard over Christmas and the new year to ensure there will now be no break in trading nor livelihoods put at risk. I have listened to the concerns of market traders and acted on them.

“The council is making a huge investment in the market’s future. It has been left to decline for decades by the previous market owner. If Rochdale is to have a future as a thriving market town then we have to invest in a quality market which has a wide variety of independent and specialist stalls. That is the only way to attract more customers and to safeguard its long term future. And that is why the Council bought back the market charter and took control of this important retail activity that is vital to the future success of the town centre.

“We are moving it next door to the bus and tram interchange which will help attract new shoppers to the market, and it will be eventually be located on The Butts as part of a multi-million regeneration of that area.”

A specialist market company is to be appointed to run the market and should be in post in the next few weeks.

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/article/93096/market-moving-from-exchange-shopping-centre-to-former-black-box-site