STAFF and stallholders at Warrington Market are celebrating after it was rated the “Best Small Indoor Market” in the Britain at an awards ceremony held in Birmingham recently.
The market was declared Best Small Indoor Market in the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) competition which celebrates the best markets in the country.
Currently housed in a temporary market building Warrington Market is set to move to a permanent home next year as an integral part of the multi-million pound Time Square development.
The NABMA Judges stated, ‘They have taken a journey from an old market to a new market without sacrificing quality, infrastructure or atmosphere’.
They also recognised ‘a combination of innovation, partnership and investment between the Local Authority, the market management team, the market traders and shoppers’.
Market Manager Andy Ward, who has overseen the move from the old market, said: “Receiving recognition for all the hard work we have put into the temporary market over the last 17 months is a fantastic achievement for us bearing in mind we are in a cul de sac surrounded by a building site. Roll on the permanent market when we can show Warrington and the surrounding area what we can really do for the town centre.”
“The new market will have 60 to 75 stalls depending on configuration. It will have a mezzanine again but this time served by escalators and with space to hold sizable specialist and niche markets.
“The food court will double in size from what it is now to 13 outlets serving over 300 indoor covers and in Summer a further 100 outdoor covers. The new food court also has the ability to trade to different hours than the rest of the market as we can partition it off to allow trade into the evening and catch the cinema footfall traffic.
“We are aiming to curate only the best traders from the region who will provide excellent customer service and sell niche products and services that are not available on the high street or in your local supermarket,” he added.
The Time Square development will open early in 2020 and will comprise the new market hall, several restaurants, a 13 screen Cineworld multiplex cinema, new Council Offices and new Public Square. The 1600 space multi-storey car park that is a component of the project, opened in 2017. Free Parking is available for up to three hours for people who validate their tickets at the market.
