‘State-of-the-art’ won’t break the bank

By Karolyn Judge

PLANS for a new ‘state-of-the-art’ market hall have been met with scepticism from traders, who fear that new stalls will incur higher rent charges.

Instead of the £130,000 improvements that were proposed to improve the existing market, Winsford town centre could now get a replacement market instead, as part of the existing Winsford Cross Shopping Centre.

It could open five days a week and offer a variety of goods, from 9am to 5pm each day.

Plans also include introducing an open-air market on Fountain Court, just outside the area, once a week.

Mar Properties, who own the shopping centre after buying it for £50m from Modus last December, want it to move as part of a £3 million project to make the town the main shopping area in Mid-Cheshire.

Stallholders at the existing event expressed their concerns at a council meeting last week, where plans, which are in consultation at the moment, also revealed that there might be a new cinema built in the town.

They believe it would be better in the council’s hands, as they feel it has their best interests in mind rather than being driven by profit.

However, Laura McCarthy at BTW Shiells, which is managing the scheme on behalf of Mar, said: “There are conditions to do with stallholders rents and we don’t plan to increase them.

“There are going to be restrictions put in place to do with the rent.

“The plans are in the very early stages at the moment. It will be a fully heated and most likely, the stalls will be fixed. It will be a state-of-the-art building.

“We want to alleviate the traders fears and bring everyone over from the existing market.”

The original plan was to update the 1960's Winsford Market by installing energy efficient lighting, a striped scalopped-edged canopy as well as valances around the sales tables.

A new public address, emergency lighting and fire detection system would have been installed alongside automatic doors at each of the three main entrances and the loading bay entrance.

Other improvements would have seen drain covers levelled and the floor finished with an epoxy resin finish. 13 additional lock-up units would have also been built with the area in front of the event leveled and extended.

At the time Cllr Les Ford, Lead Councillor for Business Management, said: “This need for investment in Winsford Market was identified in the Council’s Best Value Review.

“The Council was making investigations into funding the improvements with private sector monies. However the sale of the Town Centre by Modus to Mar Properties has meant this is not a viable proposition at this time.

“We felt the market traders had waited long enough to see major investment into the Market so the Council has decided to fund the improvements itself.”