Summer opening for Peterborough market after re-location

The new look City Market and Food Hall will open in its new city centre Bridge Street location in June. The date was confirmed at a meeting of Peterborough City Council’s cabinet today (Monday)>

The news about the opening date came as Cabinet members approved construction costs for the new market site and for additional costs for decanting the market from its current location in Northminster.

Cabinet members also confirmed the sale of the Northminster site along with the construction of a development of over 300 new city-centre homes can start by 31 March. The council is currently finalising the commercial arrangements for this. The site construction start date is a requirement for a £14million grant from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The new City Market will be located along Bridge Street. Initially, it will comprise of:

Food Hall – A new state-of-the-art indoor Food Hall with two butchers and a fishmonger, located in the old Customer Contact Centre.

Permanent Market Stalls – A total of 12 permanent market stalls, housed in three contemporary timber kiosks, beneath the trees in the centre of Bridge Street. These stalls will give shoppers a variety of goods to buy from independent traders, ranging from fresh food, non food and hospitality items.

Pop-Up Market Stalls – A total of 12 pop-up stalls which could be used by traders who want to operate on a part-time basis, or during a themed market, such as Vegan Market, Continental Market, or Christmas Market. There is plenty of scope to increase the number of pop up stalls in the future.

Bridge Street was identified as ideal for boosting footfall and creating a modern, vibrant new market, as it is located close to Cathedral Square, on the same street as the proposed new Vine library and culture hub. Footfall is expected to increase even further this year with the opening of the new ARU Peterborough university, the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and the new Government Hub at Fletton Quays.

Councillor Steve Allen, cabinet member for housing, culture and communities, said: “Following the cabinet meeting today, we now know that shoppers will be able to look forward to a June opening of the new relocated City Market.

“In addition, the Northminster site will be sold to make way for over 300 city centre homes and that the sale of this land will cover the costs of the market relocation.

“This means we will have a bustling, busy City Market again, in a location that benefits from much higher footfall. And over 300 city centre residents, who we know are far more likely to favour walking/cycling as default modes of transport and who will spend money in our city centre shops, cafes, bars and market stalls – that’s a win-win in my opinion.”