Leicester Market: Plans for £7.5m revamp revealed

Plans for a £7.5m revamp of Leicester's outdoor market in the city's Old Town have been revealed.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby outlined the designs which would include upgrades for stalls, enhanced lighting, paving, and a shuttered perimeter to keep the site secure at night.

Subject to planning permission, work on the market refurbishment could get under way in spring 2023.

The project is expected to take about 15 months to complete.

As part of the proposals, sections of the market roof on either side of the historic Corn Exchange would be removed, opening up views of the Grade II listed building and creating space for new trading opportunities.

All the old wooden stalls - now in poor condition - would be removed, and about 70 new ones would be installed in a new layout aimed at creating better pedestrian routes through the market.

New units would be installed in front of the indoor food hall in a bid to attract a new generation of traders and a wider range of quality goods.

Mayor Soulsby said: "We want to make sure that Leicester Market has a bright future - and that means helping it to adapt to reflect the way that people shop today.

"There's been a busy working market at the heart of our city for centuries, and these proposals will help ensure that that continues."

The city council says it will be engaging with the 55 businesses that currently operate from Leicester Market, with traders invited to find out more about the proposals at a number of drop-in sessions.

It is proposed that while refurbishment works are completed, the outdoor market and its traders would relocate to Green Dragon Square, where about 50 covered stalls and up to 20 lockable units would provide a temporary home for the market.

A formal decision on the proposals will be made later this month.

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