Work to prepare for the new, revitalised market at the heart of Brighouse as part of the £19.1 million Town Deal investment is stepping up with the submission of plans for the new temporary home for the stalls while building work is underway.
As part of the UK Government-funded Town Deal, Calderdale Council is working with the Brighouse Town Deal Board to deliver the £3 million permanent market on the existing canalside site, which will have around 20 fixed stalls, each with water, drainage and power.
The outcome of the main planning application for the new market is due in the next few weeks. If successful, the appointment of a contractor will follow shortly after and work is estimated to begin by summer 2024.
To ensure that the popular market can continue to trade and be a key part of the town centre during the rebuild, the Council has identified Daisy Street car park as a location for temporary market, just across Anchor Bridge from the market’s current home.
Plans for this, which include linking the temporary stalls to electricity, water and waste, and providing storage for stallholders while the market is not open, have now been submitted and can be seen at www.brighousedeal.co.uk/temporarymarket(external link).
Colin Gordon, member of the Brighouse Town Deal Board and owner of Colin’s Café on Brighouse Market, said:
“We are really excited for our new market building in Brighouse which will make an already popular place to buy and sell an even more attractive and vibrant place to visit.
“It is inevitable that the transformation will cause short-term disruption which is why we’ve been working hard to ensure our market traders can continue to operate during the rebuild.
“Our temporary Daisy Street home, just two minutes’ walk from the existing market, is a great alternative and I hope visitors and shoppers to Brighouse will cross Anchor Bridge and check us out when we make the move.”
In addition to upgraded facilities, the new permanent market will also include a flexible central space that can be used for events or additional pop-up stalls to encourage new business start-ups.
Alongside spaces to sit, rest and meet, with views over the canal, there will be new toilets for traders plus storage, to create a modern, attractive and vibrant market with the aspiration to open more days of the week in the future .
Other features will include an improved pedestrian area at the front and level access to the market; secure, decorative gates featuring a Brighouse-themed design; new cycle parking; and new entrances and exits to provide better connections to the town.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Silvia Dacre, said:
“Brighouse market is already a vibrant and popular place and Town Deal funding is supporting an even brighter future, with improved facilities boosting the shopper, visitor and trader experience.
“We’re hopeful that work on the new market will begin by this summer and to prepare for this we’ve been working hard to identify a location for a temporary market. The plans for Daisy Street car park will ensure trading in the town can continue whilst work on the upgraded market is underway.”
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Towns, Tourism and Voluntary Sector, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said:
“This is an exciting time for Brighouse, with work progressing well on Town Deal projects which will revitalise the town centre, building on its distinctive character and supporting our priority for thriving towns and places.”
The market revitalisation is just one of the Brighouse Town Deal projects, powered by Levelling Up, which aims to transform the town centre, making it a more attractive place to visit and spend time and money – benefitting residents, shoppers, visitors and businesses.
Work on the other public realm projects is progressing through the detailed design stage. More information will follow later in the spring. The aims of the projects will be to:
- Develop public areas of the town centre so they are more welcoming for people walking and cycling into the town;
- Encourage more people into the town centre for longer, with more to do during the day and evening; and,
- Provide a quality event and community space at the historic Thornton Square.
As part of these preparations, a series of extensive investigations into what lies beneath the roads and pavements will take place in the coming months.
There will be a series of temporary roadworks carried out by contractors with shops, venues and businesses to be kept updated about what will be happening and where, plus the impact on them. Some initial surveys to the towpath alongside the market and footpath in front of the market will happen first, with minimal disruption followed by other survey work across the town centre.
Details will be shared through the Brighouse Deal’s website (www.brighousedeal.co.uk(external link)) the Calderdale Next Chapter website (www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk(external link)), plus email newsletters and social media.
By carrying out this work now, it will help reduce the extent of disruption when the main work is carried out in the future.
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.
For more information about the Brighouse Town Deal, visit www.brighousedeal.co.uk(external link) and www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk(external link), which also includes details of other major projects across Calderdale.
ENDS