Anger as £3.2m improvements works at famous Fleetwood Market make traders' lives 'impossible'

Although the traders acknowledge that the work offers welcome improvements, they say scaffolding inside some areas of the market is proving physically intrusive and getting in the way of stalls – and business.

Wyre Council has invested more than £2 million to carry out repairs and reinstate historic features of the nineteenth century Market Hall, partly funded by a Government-funded High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) grant .

The project is aimed at improving the appearance and continued life of the building and includes replacement of the main hall slate roof, windows and doors.

At the same time, energy efficiency works are being carried out, including the installation of renewable energy technologies and removing fossil fuel gas heating, via a £1 million grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

But one trader, who was particularly unhappy, said: "The environment we are expected to work in is terrible.

"It's cold, it's dark and it's unpleasant.

"Footfall has fallen drastically and who can blame the customers?

"It's soul destroying to constantly be told by customers 'if I knew it was going to be in this state then I wouldn't have bothered coming'.

"We understand the work needs to be completed but the planning and execution of the work has left a lot to be desired.

"Some stalls have scaffolding blocking access to the stock on offer.

"The council has failed to recognise these businesses are our livelihoods.

"The random short closures the market has also seen - it doing nothing for trade. Customers think we are closed when we are open and vice versa.

"We had literally just started to recover from the Covid pandemic and then the we have this thrown at us.

"The work now looks like it will be delayed after a seagull's nest has been found.

"The market opened in 1840 but if something is not done soon, it will be lucky to see the year out."

Fleetwood Market is a significant council asset, says Wyre, providing the council with income of £539,727 in 2021/22 and supporting trade for over 150 stallholders.

A Wyre Council spokesman said: “The £3.2 million investment works are vital in maintaining and futureproofing Fleetwood Market as one of the region’s key attractions, to help us to achieve our net zero carbon emissions and to restore the historic features of the nineteenth century Market Hall.

“The works are expected to be complete in Autumn 2023 and the council have endeavoured to minimise any disruption to trade, working hard to arrange for parts of the market to remain open throughout the restoration period at the request of the traders.

"Consultations have been held with traders before and during the project and appropriate arrangements are in place regarding compensation to those affected.”