New Oldham Market delayed until the new year

The opening of the new Oldham market has been pushed back by several months due to complications in fitting out stalls.

Tommyfield Market traders in Oldham were due to move into a brand new venue in the town centre this September.

But vendors were informed last week their leases for the current premises would be extended into the new year as some units are not ready to move into.

Oldham Council has now confirmed the new market next to The Spindles shopping centre won’t be ready until 2026.

The delay has left some traders worried about the confusion caused to customers – with some claiming they’d seen less footfall this month as people expected them to have moved already.

Elaine Rothwell, 66, who manages the Best Wishes card shop, said she was ‘annoyed’ when she heard the news. 

“We were all set to put our Christmas stuff up in the new place,” she said.

“They didn’t give us any notice about anything. 

“It’s having to tell customers all the time that we’re not going to move yet – and they’re just as shocked as we are.” 

But she added she was ‘still excited’ by the move, which she believes will be ‘good for the town’.

Other traders and spokespeople supported the later opening date, with Ray Aslam, Chair of the Traders’ Association, saying: “Christmas is the busiest time of year for most of us and moving before then isn’t ideal, especially as some traders have challenging fit-out requirements that take longer to complete.

“We wanted to make sure no one was left behind so waiting until the new year means we can all move together and make a real fresh start.”

And in a comment provided by Oldham Council, Mark Crossley, of Crossley’s Fish, said: “Christmas is our busiest time of year, so this plan works best for us.

"It means we can look after our regular customers right through December, and in the meantime, take the time to set up our new stall properly.

"When we open in the new year, we’ll be ready to hit the ground running.”

The new opening date is yet to be announced. In the meantime, traders will still be operating from Tommyfield Market on Albion Street and have urged customers to continue supporting them there.

Tommyfield Market is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

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