Issue - meetings

To consider the report on the refurbishment of Indoor Macclesfield Market.

The Committee considered the report on the proposals to refurbish elements of Macclesfield Indoor Market utilising UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) and approval was sought to enter into a contract with a value of over £1m for the refurbishment work.

The approved Macclesfield Town Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework identified the desirability of investment in Macclesfield Indoor Market to increase its attractiveness to a wider range of residents and visitors.

The refurbishment project had been awarded £1,349,400 from the UKSPF in November 2023 with an additional £229,100 for branding and capital works in February 2024. There was a tight timescale for delivery of UKSPF funded projects with the current rules requiring spend of all UKSPF allocations by the end of March 2025.

The Committee were supportive of the project which would help towards the Town Centre regeneration and followed on from the provision of the Changing Places Toilet in the Indoor Market. It was noted that Macclesfield now had more independent shops and a revamped indoor market would offer opportunities for people to start businesses who could not afford to lease shop premises. It was asked if the Indoor Market would have the opportunity to open in the evenings to allow it to be used for events, like at Crewe Market Hall, as at present it closed when the shopping centre closed. In response it was stated that the shopping centre owners had been included in discussions and were supportive of the proposals as it would improve footfall within the shopping centre.

RESOLVED (unanimously):

That the Committee authorise the Head of Economic Development to select and enter into a contract with a provider to deliver refurbishment works to Macclesfield Indoor Market, noting the value of the contract will exceed £1,000,000.