Market on the move ahead of major rebuild programme

Brighouse Open Market will move to a new, temporary home this autumn.

This is so work can begin on the rebuild of its permanent home on the canalside as part of a £19.1m Town Deal transformation.

As part of the UK Government-funded Town Deal, Calderdale Council is working with the Brighouse Town Deal Board to deliver a new permanent market on the existing canalside site, which will have around 20 fixed stalls, each with water, drainage and power.

Planning permission for the permanent home was granted in March and, following a competitive tendering process, Triton Construction was appointed as contractor to work on the market rebuild.

The temporary market will be in a section of Daisy Street car park, across Anchor Bridge from the existing site.

Traders will move to the Daisy Street site in late September and the canalside site will close for around 12 months for the work to be undertaken.

Colin Gordon, member of the Brighouse Town Deal Board, said: “We’ve been working hard to ensure our market traders can continue to operate during the rebuild of Brighouse Open Market and it is great to now be making final preparations for the move to our temporary Daisy Street home.

“It is just two minutes’ walk from the existing market and I hope visitors and shoppers to Brighouse will cross Anchor Bridge and check us out when we make the move during the building of our new market.”

In addition to upgraded facilities, the new permanent market will include a flexible central space which would accommodate additional pop-up stalls and could also be used for small events.

Alongside spaces to sit with views over the canal, there will be new toilets for traders plus storage, to create a modern and attractive market with the aspiration to open more days of the week in future.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and transport, Councillor Sarah Courtney, said: “As part of the Brighouse Town Deal, we’re working to transform the Open Market, creating a modern upgraded facility to benefit both traders and shoppers.

“The market project is one part of a package of investment across the town centre which includes new pedestrian areas, resurfacing of roads and footways and new seating and planting.

“These improvements, being delivered in partnership with the Town Deal Board, will make Brighouse an even better place to visit.”

Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for resources, Cllr Silvia Dacre, added: “The exciting improvements at Brighouse Market have been carefully planned to create an attractive and more flexible space, which includes upgraded facilities to attract visitors, better support existing stallholders and encourage new traders.

“To ensure trading can continue whilst these upgrades take place, we’ve identified a location for a temporary home for the market, just across the road from the market’s current location using part of Daisy Street car park.

“The market may be temporary, but it will have all the facilities to enable the market traders to continue to sell their food, drink and other great items.”