Ref: PR1816
Date: 18/06/08

Traders and shoppers are gearing up for the opening of Wakefield's prestigious new market hall.

The £3 million building designed by leading architect David Adjaye is in a prime position in the city centre and will open for business on Monday (June 23).

It is the first of several major regeneration projects in Wakefield city centre to be completed.

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Culture and Sport, said: "This is a milestone in the transformation of Wakefield. It is a very exciting time to live and work here as we begin to see it develop and change into a city of the future.

"The market is something that crosses over the old and the new. In some ways it is very traditional with stalls that have been trading for many years offering customary wares. But it is sited in a stunning new building and existing traders have been joined by new ones offering diversity and choice to our citizens."

The new venture will offer an array of stalls including many selling high quality food sourced locally.

A separate hall dedicated to food is one of the features. It includes Yorkshire bread and confectionary, a fishmonger selling fish fresh daily from Grimsby (except Mondays), a Polish delicatessen, a Yorkshire tapas bar, continental fruit and vegetables and a butcher selling game. It will also feature Cryer and Stott cheeses and delicatessen, part of the Deliciously Yorkshire campaign.

The main market hall is completely sold-out. It offers a wide range of goods from a traditional milliner to hair extensions and body piercing jewellery, and from mainstream mens' and ladies' fashion, through leather clothing to Goth styles. There are old fashioned sweets and a chocolate fountain, pet shop supplies, a herbalist and a florist. Visitors can even get their eyes tested and then visit a manufacturing optician.

The new market hall is in a prime position on Union Street, opposite the old market and the bus station.

A new open market will sit alongside the market hall. There will be an emphasis on high quality, local produce on general market days. Each Thursday there will be a global and ethnic market and on Tuesdays there will be a reuse market where quality, fit for purpose, second hand items can be sold.

The market hall will house 49 general indoor units, 11 retail areas in the food hall, nine shops fronting onto Union Street and 45 outdoor stalls, with room for three mobile catering units.

Some of the shop units are still available. Interested traders should contact Market Services on 01924 307826.

The new market hall is part of the Trinity Walk development by Modus Properties and Simons Developments, with the main contractor for the scheme being Shepherd Construction Ltd. It is set transform the Marshway area of the city and in addition to the new market hall, includes more than 500,000 sq ft of retail accommodation including new stores for Debenhams, Sainsbury, Next, H&M, Peacocks and New Look, 72 residential units, a 957 customer space car park and a new library.

ENDS