Street market countdown

Oldham Town Centre Partnership

OLDHAM’S new street market will be launched in just a few weeks’ time.

Gazebo-style stalls are currently being manufactured and will be set up in Albion Street and Curzon Street in June.

Town centre manager Mark Lester said there had been a significant number of new traders interested in running the stalls and they would create a mix between traditional and new items to make it a unique market.

A new markets manager has been appointed and starts on Tuesday, while a new senior markets manager is also being appointed.

A proposal has also been outlined for the Outdoor Tommyfield Market to demolish the majority of perimeter units, to remove all the fixed market stalls, to create a specialist market using demountable stalls and to increase car-parking capacity.

Labour councillor Dave Hibbert said he welcomed the scheme, saying that stimulating market trade had been a long-term ambition of Oldham Council.

He added: “Tommyfield has a very special place in people’s affections but has declined. It has a proud history but its current situation is not how people would like it to be. It also has a future but that will be impacted by the new market.”

Mr Lester said there was now a significant amount of support from traders for the street market and the only way to improve public perception of the market was to make it a success so that people would want to shop there.

That would in turn generate shoppers for other stalls, and the partnership was already looking at getting coaches of people from outside Oldham to visit.