New location for Rochdale Market



The Rochdale Market will move to a new, more prominent location.



Rochdale Market, currently located in the Exchange Shopping Centre is set to move to a prominent new location in the New Year, adjacent to the new bus station, town centre Metrolink stop and Milton Street West car park.

 

The announcement comes 15 months after the council took over the running of the market to save it from closure when new owners took over the management of the Exchange Shopping Centre.

 

Mark Widdup, Director of Economy and Environment, said:

 

“The council has been paying substantial rent to keep the market where it is and can’t continue to fund something which is losing a significant amount of money and is clearly not commercially viable.

 

“We held a public consultation on the market earlier this year and the overwhelming response from our residents was that it was too far away from transport links, so this move is an obvious first step to help create the successful market we all want. In the longer term, we want to put an outside market on the Butts as part of the river re-opening scheme but this interim arrangement will test if a market can work closer to public transport.”

 

The current market is set to close on Saturday 17 January. The council are considering a number of options for the new market, which is expected to open by operating three or four days a week and be run by an independent operator.

 

It is hoped that many of the existing traders will move from their current location onto the new site, but the council is also looking to attract new traders to create a more diverse retail offer.   

 

Council leader, Councillor Richard Farnell added:

 

“We now have a great opportunity to place the market at the heart of the town centre, alongside excellent transport links and the proposed town centre east development. Every successful town centre needs a strong market and we are confident that this change is a significant first step in achieving this.”

 

If anybody would be interested in opening a stall on the new Rochdale Market, email derek.mack@rochdale.gov.uk.