£2.7m revamp for market hall

THE £2.7m transformation of Scarborough Market Hall has begun to create space for offices, more shops and a café.

Esh Construction said work will be completed by December and the market will remain open through the project.

Andy Gawthorpe, regional managing director of Esh in Yorkshire, said: “We are working in partnership with the Council to ensure stakeholders are engaged with the redevelopment of the market. The work will create a new market that will serve as a community hub for the town.”

The vision for the scheme has been produced by Leeds-based architecture practice Group Ginger, which has a track record in reinterpreting heritage buildings, including the former Tetley’s brewery HQ in Leeds.

Now ‘The Tetley’ is a contemporary art space with restaurant and offices which attracts more than 100,000 visitors per year. 

Group Ginger’s Simon Baker said: “The £2.7m investment in Scarborough Market is indicative of a trend emerging in the North of England, with public bodies increasingly choosing to invest in supporting independent retail businesses.  We see more and more developers investing in creating an element of theatre in the retail and leisure experience, in a drive to combat the lure of online shopping. Markets are ready-made ‘retail theatres’ and there remains a great deal of affection for markets amongst the general public which town and city centres – not only Scarborough but also Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley and elsewhere – are well placed to capitalise on by investing in their assets.

“With a listed building as our starting point, our role was to adapt and reconfigure the spaces, to make them relevant for the future.  It was important to us, in approaching the project, that we didn’t alienate anyone – long-standing traders, customers or new start-ups – and our design puts traders and customers centre-stage, to help foster that sense of community that people love about market halls.”

Coun Bill Chatt, Scarborough Borough Council’s portfolio holder for public health and Housing, said: “This is a fantastic step forward for the Scarborough Market Hall redevelopment and it is wonderful to see contractors on site and beginning the process of creating a much-improved market for Scarborough.

“In the meantime the market will remain open and traders look forward to welcoming customers old and new.”