Construction of Brighouse’s new market is now complete, and traders old and new are preparing to move to their permanent home, after Calderdale Council’s project team handed the keys over to the markets service.
The new market is a key part of the Brighouse Town Deal, which is investing £19.1 million from the UK Government on projects that build on the town’s strengths and are shaped by local people following significant consultation and engagement.
The market is the latest project to be delivered following the completion of the town’s new i4.0 Hub(external link). Work on the final part of the Brighouse Town Deal, in the heart of the town centre, is due to start early next year.
The canalside site has been redeveloped over the past year into a vibrant, modern and welcoming building fit for the future. West Yorkshire-based Triton Construction has led on construction on behalf of Calderdale Council and the Brighouse Town Deal Board.
The new market includes 21 fixed stalls, each equipped with water, drainage and power. There are welcoming seating areas for people to rest, meet others, or just stop for a moment and enjoy, and there is space for a further 19 pop-up stalls, providing opportunities for pop-ups and events.
New decorative gates, cycle parking and accessible entrances create a better connection to the town centre, through Bethel Street Car Park, Briggate and Thornton Square.
Market traders, temporarily trading from Daisy Street Car Park, are preparing to move to the new market building. They will be joined by new stallholders, attracted by the opportunity to trade from the upgraded new home for Brighouse open market.
Cllr Sarah Courtney, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said:
“We want Calderdale’s towns and places to thrive, and this milestone for Brighouse is a key part of the aspiration to build a town where history lives, communities come together, memories are made and the economy can grow.”
Cllr Silvia Dacre, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, added:
“The market completion has been eagerly awaited by the community. When I visited earlier this week a resident asked me when the new market was going to open, it was great to be able to tell him that it would be in the next few weeks. We’re really impressed with the new facilities, which will be yet another reason for people to visit and do business in Brighouse.”
Cllr Howard Blagbrough, Co-Chair of the Brighouse Town Deal Board, said:
“This is a really exciting moment for Brighouse. The market is a place where the community comes together, and the new building which looks stunning will help it thrive long into the future.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has continued to support the market while it has been operating from Daisy Street Car Park and we’re now looking forward to seeing the new market buzzing with activity from existing and new traders when they return home in the weeks ahead.”
Paul Clarkson, Triton Construction Ltd Managing Director, said:
“Being a local contractor to Brighouse with our HQ at Hightown Liversedge, we were very pleased to be appointed to deliver this key part of the exciting ongoing re-development of Brighouse. The facility looks amazing, and my congratulations go to Calderdale Council for supporting and developing this vision and to the design team and my own teams for delivering so well on it.”
The market revitalisation is one of the Brighouse Town Deal projects which will deliver:
- A more attractive, safer and cleaner town centre so those who shop, visit and enjoy spend longer, spend more and return often.
- A better, warmer welcome for those arriving in the town by any means, and improved links between the town centre and green spaces to provide access to nature and encourage health and wellbeing improvements by making walking and cycling more attractive.
- A brand new market housing the traders of today and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
- A place to come together providing a community space at the heart of the town in the historic Thornton Square.
- A focus on the future with investment in apprenticeships, skills and training building on the town’s manufacturing heritage and work to encourage trade and investment.
The Brighouse Town Deal is a joint project between the town’s private and voluntary sector, community and residents’ groups, Calderdale Council and Calderdale College.
The Towns Fund projects complement the A641 Improvement Scheme(external link) proposals for walking, wheeling, cycling and driving.
For more information about the Brighouse Town Deal, visit brighousedeal.co.uk(external link) or calderdalenextchapter.co.uk(external link), which includes details of other major projects across Calderdale.
ENDS