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Refurbished market defended months after reopening

BBC Joshua Wells stares into the camera with the cornhill market behind him. He is smiling and wearing a blue suit and light blue shirt. He has a beard, brown hair and dark rimmed glasses.BBC
Councillor Joshua Wells has defended criticism of the Cornhill Market in Lincoln city centre

The City of Lincoln Council has defended the Cornhill Market six months after it reopened after a multi-million pound refurbishment.

The building still has vacant units despite the £7m investment which was completed in May.

The authority has confirmed five stalls are currently empty and it is "working really hard" to fill them.

It follows claims by previous stallholders that costs to trade in the building were "unsustainable".

A view of stalls at the Cornhill Market in Lincoln. Several have black shutters down to show they are closed and the walkway is also empty. A Christmas tree is visible in the distance.
Several stalls at the market remain vacant, six months after a major refurbishment project at the building

The council, which announced the project in 2021, was criticised by former traders who said they felt "erased" from the market's history.

The BBC visited the venue to get the thoughts of shoppers with many saying the experience had been "disappointing".

David Brown, 75, said: "I find it a little bit depressing that there are so many stalls that aren't utilised at the moment.

"It just seems to be missing something," he said.

A grey haired man wearing a red gilet over a red fleece looks at the camera. He is standing in front of a large, lightly-coloured stone building which has large windows. There is a sign which reads Cornhill Market.
David Brown, 75, said he found it "depressing" that so many units in the market were empty

But Freya Barker and Katie Nemeth were more complimentary describing it as "quite good".

"I think it could be a lot fuller, but for what it is it's quite nice," said Ms Barker.

Julie Markham, from Louth, said: "It's a bit disappointing. Not all the units are full up."

She told the BBC that she thought it would be "a lot better if there were more traders in there."

Two young women smile at the camera, one with long brown hair, the other with long ginger hair. The stone building which houses the Cornhill Market is visible in the background.
Katie Nemeth and Freya Barker bought food at the Cornhill Market and said it had been "quite good".

Councillor Joshua Wells, portfolio holder for inclusive economic growth, said the venue had "more stalls occupied than there used to be in the old market".

"We're working with businesses, and putting on events in the market as well to try and drive footfall in to support the businesses that are here."

"We're actively working with other stall holders to fill those spaces, it's not like it's been forgotten about. We are working hard to fill those spaces."

The council said the process to approve and check potential tenants can be lengthy, but said it was "the right thing for the council and the right thing for businesses."

A young woman smiles at the camera. She has dark hair and dark eyes. Her stall is behind her and a range of products are visible on the shelves.
Verena Hanley runs an alternative fashion stall at the market

Will Morris, the co-owner of La Bella Di Casa, a traditional Italian Ice Cream company which makes its produce in the city centre said he was confident the stalls would be filled soon.

He said: "They're empty now but what we're told by the council is that there's always people applying.

"It just takes a little bit of time to really get it all smoothed out."

Verena Hanley, who runs Fabric Tattoos Embroidery, said most people leave with a "positive impression" of the market.

She added: "Two businesses have already grown past being here within six months. They've been able to close and open up their own places.

"That's exactly what the market was for; it's for small businesses to get a foothold in the community. Build their brand, build customers and move on to the next bigger thing."

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