Indoor Market Traders’ Continued Frustration One Year Post-Closure

Businesses displaced from an indoor market due to concerns about a potential roof collapse have called on the local council to “fix it and let’s go again.” This appeal comes a year after the detection of RAAC concrete within Bury Market necessitated the relocation of these enterprises. Bury Council has not yet determined the building’s fate, following surveyors’ estimates that repairing the roof would incur a cost of £6m. Steve Moloney, whose BBQ shop ceased operations for six months due to the closure, acknowledged that “all options were expensive” but suggested the council could recover expenses through market rents. The 68-year-old’s hot food establishment had been a fixture within the indoor hall until the “devastating” closure. He stated, “We were out of work for just over six months with nothing. I depleted my business account to pay my four staff so I could keep them on.” His enterprise was among numerous businesses eventually moved to the Mill Gate shopping centre or to pitches within the outdoor market. Bury councillor Charlotte Morris affirmed that staff had exerted their “absolute best” efforts to assist traders by securing alternative premises and providing financial aid. She noted that there was “unfortunately no quick fix” for the structural issues, and any available solutions would “cost taxpayers many millions of pounds.” The council has engaged consultants to prepare costings and timelines for various proposals, such as renovating the existing hall, constructing a new facility, or establishing a “Preston style” covered market. Steve Taylor, proprietor of Bury Loose Covers and Foam Products on the outdoor market, commented that the entire market had been negatively impacted by the closure, as the indoor hall constituted “an important part of the appeal.” He expressed, “I would like to see it restored and brought back.” Zane of Walsh’s Butchers reported that the company was compelled to dismiss three employees following the indoor hall’s closure. He stated, “We had £60,000 invested in bespoke counters in the hall. It was a real blow to lose staff, to lose the base for our business.” Dave Regan, 71, a resident of Bradley Fold, remarked, “I was a regular shopper there and was friendly with many of the stallholders, including the butchers. It’s going to be expensive whatever course of action they take. My feeling is it will eventually get pulled down, which will be a shame.” “We’re now 12 months down the road and they’ve not even lifted a roll of Sellotape to look at the structural problems,” Mr Moloney conveyed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. He further elaborated, “All the options are expensive but it’s not rocket science to know that if you’re losing £1.2m in rent and the bill’s going to be £6m you’ve only got six years down the line and you’ve got your revenue back.” He concluded, “My solution would be fix and let’s go again.”