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Accrington Market Hall reopening
Wednesday 16th June
Accrington’s historic market hall has been brought bang up to date with a £2 million makeover.
The market, which first opened in 1869 and cost £19,000 to build, was applauded at the time as being a “living treasure of art”. Its interior now has an up to date smart new look which is set to be revealed on the morning of Saturday 26th June, when the new ground floor stalls and balcony units will be formally “handed back” to the Council by the contractors.
The market will be decked out for the occasion and a swing band will add to the party atmosphere as the proceedings kick off at 9.50am. The short ceremony will include the official handover and unveiling of a commemorative plaque to mark this momentous occasion.
Visitors to the ground floor will be able to shop till they drop at the new look market stalls. Some have been refurbished whilst the older ones were replaced with modern purpose built units, which blend in well with the traditional character of the historic Grade II listed building. A new flexible use events and seating area has been created and the original 1869 stone flooring flags exposed, repaired and brought back to their former glory.
Enterprise haven
Going up the new imposing central staircase visitors will also see how the galleries, once used as reading rooms, have been transformed into business units which will house a variety of small retail and other businesses as part of the No Limits programme.
Hyndburn Enterprise Trust will also move in from Accrington’s Globe Centre and will continue to provide a range of business support services for new and established traders including book keeping, mentoring, and marketing right at the heart of the town.
There is also a new mezzanine floor with a café, exhibition area and new toilets which are also suitable for disabled visitors.
Cllr Peter Britcliffe, Leader of the Council said, “This really is a great day. I’ve always said the Market Hall has a Queen Anne front and Mary – Anne insides, so it’s absolutely wonderful that the interior at long last now matches the impressive exterior. Today sees the coming together of a lot of planning and a lot of hard work and the Market Hall really is a wonderful asset for the whole of the borough and a legacy for future generations.
Cllr Marlene Haworth, Cabinet member for Markets added, “I’m really excited that the work on the Market Hall is now complete for the people of Hyndburn to enjoy. We have blended our proud history with 21st century vision and the results are superb. We now have a modern market which still offers traditional old fashioned personal service, thanks to our traders who have been really patient during the construction works. Also along with the No Limits programme we’ve transformed the upper part of the market hall to provide a facility for a vibrant business and retail hub.”
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