TRADERS at Leicester Market are to have their rents waived until the end of this year, as works to complete the new market square gather pace.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby met with the traders’ representatives today (Wednesday) to warn them that disruption on site would be intensifying from next Monday (13 July), as work to install the market’s new electricity substation gets under way.
Works to create an enclosure for the new substation at the rear of the Corn Exchange could take up to 24 weeks – with works to install the new transformer, and connect it to the power network, expected to continue into the new year.
Access to the food hall will be maintained throughout the works, with three of the hall’s four entrances open at all times. Hoardings will be put up around the site compound to create a safe corridor for shoppers using the entrance close to the Alice Hawkins statue, while the doors on Market Place North and the entrance closest to the Corn Exchange pub will be unaffected by the current works.
The food hall traders have already had to deal with disruption caused by works to create a new electrical switch room – and will face more challenges when work to lay the new porphyry surface gets under way.
There will be further inconvenience for the market traders before Christmas, with a demolition team set to start work on Market Place North to create a new pedestrian link through to Cank Street.
“I am acutely aware of the difficulties that both the outdoor traders and those inside the food hall are facing, as we drive forward the transformation of our market place,” said City Mayor Peter Soulsby.
“Running a business from a building site certainly brings its challenges, and it’s clear that the works are having an impact on footfall.
“As we make this final push towards completing the scheme, the disruption will inevitably intensify – and I recognise the impact this will have on traders who are already struggling.
“So today we have written to all the existing licensed traders – both indoor and outdoor – to tell them that rent on their existing stalls will be waived from Monday (13 July) until 31 December 2026.
“I hope this gesture shows that we want these businesses to survive – and that we want them to continue to prosper when these long-awaited improvements to the market have been completed.
“I would like to remind everyone that both the outdoor market on Green Dragon Square and the indoor Food Hall are open, and will remain open for business, throughout the works – and I sincerely hope that the traders’ loyal customers will not be put off by the inconvenience of the building works and will continue to support them through these difficult times.”
The City Mayor will invite the traders’ representatives in for a further meeting in the autumn, when they will discuss the timing for their preferred return to the market place.
While a significant proportion of the new square will be paved before Christmas, the traders have previously expressed a preference for moving back to their original site after the Christmas trading period.
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Picture caption: An artist's impression shows how the brand new market stalls could look on Leicester's new market square