Peoples Market Arts Hub Conversion Still On Track

The proposed conversion of the Peoples Market to an arts and cultural hub is moving forward with a proposal to create a detailed plan for the development.

Councillor Hugh Jones explained the vision for Wrexham is to become a regional centre for arts and culture.

He said: “We have brought together a draft plan that shows that the peoples market is a viable location for an arts and cultural hub. We now need to have a more detailed and accurately costed report that will confirm that.

“We are working with partners such as Glyndwr and other education establishments as we see this as an opportunity to promote and showcase the talents of young people.”

Work is also underway with market traders on examining how the existing market would fit in with the proposed  hub. Initial designs of the interior of the hub were released in September 2014, with proposals that the current stalls in the Peoples Market are incorporated into the hub – alongside offices,  art spaces and open air spaces.

Cllr Jones added: “It is our intention that such a hub will contain a market element as the arts hub will bring in potential new people to spend their money in the market and the market will bring in people to the arts and cultural hub.”

“We are keen to become a Purple Flag town, which means we need to show we have an early evening and cultural economy as well as nighttime and daytime economy.

“Where possible we will work with market traders to meet their needs, as of course they are an important element of the economy of Wrexham.”

So far a viability study has shown it is a ‘viable project’, so now a detailed construction costing and discovery report will take place, if approved by the Council’s Executive Board next week. The report to next week’s Executive Board says the next steps are ‘to work with Arts Council of Wales to commission detailed drawings; development costs and a full business plan, including a preferred operation of governance overall to achieve this Vision’.

The current report so far is not yet going into the public domain as it contains financial information. The item will be discussed in two parts in the Executive Board, with an open public debate and then the finances section in Part 2.

This is a subtle change as often entire reports with sensitive material are placed in Part 2.

The report also has a note about the future of the Oriel Wrecsam in the meantime, saying: “Further to the decision of Executive Board in August 2014 (HAED/37/14) to release
the Oriel Wrecsam accommodation for use by North Wales Police (NWP), the Assets
and Economic Development department’s arts team will move to a temporary location
in a shop unit at the entrance to the People’s Market on Chester Street from March
2015.”

The details appear not to have been scrutinised as of yet, with a further note explaining: “This issue has not been specifically considered by Scrutiny Committee. However, The
Employment, Business & Investment Scrutiny Committee has undertaken a
considerable amount of work relating to the Town centre in general and the operation
of the town centre indoor markets in particular. The Employment, Business & Scrutiny
Committee meeting on 2 April 2014 discussed the development of an Arts and
Culture Hub in the town centre. The recorded minutes state that: “Should the
outcome of the VVP and Arts Council of Wales study recommend the People’s
Market as the preferred location for an Arts and Culture Centre, that the Executive
Board ensure that Officers work with the Market Traders within the People’s Market to
secure a suitable alternative location” “