Special group looks at probable improvements of town’s markets – starting with £2m Butchers Market redevelopment

More than £2 million could be spent redeveloping one of the town’s indoor markets – with Wrexham Council revealing plans to invest into the historic buildings.

With cancelled meetings and a sometimes sparse agenda it has appeared that the Employment, Business & Investment Scrutiny Committee have been lacking work. However several members have been on a small Task & Finish Group that has been considering the future development opportunities for the two grade 2 listed indoor markets (Butchers Market and General Market) and the outdoor Monday Market.

The Group have have considered reports from Wrexham Glyndwr University students on work placements, footfall counter data, visits to other markets as well as direct engagement with traders and you – via a public consultation.

Speaking to Wrexham.com last week we understand that the council has learnt lessons with ‘hindsight’ from the Peoples Market to arts hub to Tŷ Pawb ‘journey‘ that had several issues around communication, secretive reports and will-they-wont-they trader moves.

In contrast, the long 47 page report that has emerged from the group contains details of the ongoing communication with traders, warts-and-all feedback from surveys as well as financial information put into the public domain. We have been told that hand delivered updates were also distributed by the council to traders ahead of this report going public.

The report outcomes are not decisions, nor are there any formal plans created for what future regeneration could look like. The report will enter the scrutiny process and then passed upwards to the council’s executive board.

It appears the likely course of action will see a ‘phased regeneration’ of the markets, starting with the Butchers Market, and funded by around £2 million coming from the National Lottery Heritage Funding Scheme, Targeted Regeneration Investment and Council capital funding, commencing with the Butcher’s Market Delivery Plan to be approved by the executive board.

The survey results interestingly note that just over a third of respondents didn’t visit the markets, but still took the time to complete the survey which demonstrates their importance.

Such civic pride may not be for everyone, with the report noting elsewhere “New residents do not have the same sentiment regarding the heritage of the markets”. Again the detail of the survey results (and volume of respondents) in the report contrast to the Tŷ Pawb development, for example Wrexham.com had to query twice to get information relating to a consultation back then – with concerns astro-turfing of opinions had taken place online.

A council officer spoke of the ‘stunning’ Butchers Market building, however noted that although the market was good, “it was not doing what it could be doing”. With Tŷ Pawb, Henblas St flats and shops being up for discounted let and the soon to be rebranded and reopened Techniquest all a stones throw away the timing of possible redevelopments appears to be seen as positive.

It was stressed proposals were at a very early stage and ‘just and idea’, and that although there was a clear direction of possibilities ideas needed to be firmed up and backed via the political process first. Due to the make up of the Task and Finish Group it is likely that there will not be much political opposition to the principles of redevelopments and accessing grant cash.

Having sat in numerous meetings where proposed investments and improvements to the markets were discussed but never actually done, we asked a very simple question ‘What is different this time?’. A council officer gave a simply reply, “There is actually money there. £2 million.”

We were told that focus would be on the Butchers Market first and council officers were ‘on the lookout’ for further funding, with more investments possible if the money was found. A range of ideas for the nearby fabric of the town was mentioned, including disused land off Henblas Street, however the Butchers Market ‘was the priority’.

The thinking behind the Butchers Market transformation looks linked to increasing the number of people of living and working in the town centre, with it being a place which would become part of someones daily shop and ‘dwell’ – presumably at eateries inside.

The council pointed to their ongoing accommodation review that is seeing Crown Buildings getting a multi million pound refurb, ready to house more council workers than ever before and centralising office space there. In a similar pitch as we have heard over Tŷ Pawb, improvements at the Butchers Market would help the ‘twilight economy’ at a 4-7pm after work time, hoping that people stay and spend in the town centre and increase its vibrancy.

The current ‘high vacancy rate’ at the Butchers Market swayed the decision to look at that first rather than the General Market.

The Butchers Market is a Grade I listed building, with it noted that many places do not have such a beautiful building as a market and the desire was ‘to make the history a feature’.

A council officer told us, “We are sensitive to traders and their needs, there will be situations that will not please everyone. Some will want to remain and come back, some will decide it is time to go.”

It was stressed it is a situation different from Tŷ Pawb as ‘it is still opening as a market’, whereas the Peoples Market closed and the new Tŷ Pawb centre is a different offer.

The importance of retaining the markets due to their architectural and historic relevance is acknowledged, but they are in need of significant investment and modernisation.

The report notes: “The General Market and Butchers Market buildings were considered to not being used to their full potential. Some of the stalls were obscuring some of the original Victorian features and restricting natural light.

“There had been limited marketing as the markets did not seem to be maximising of opportunities from increased footfall in the town centre during certain events (eg markets did not open later on one of the days of the town centre continental food market).”

The Butcher’s Market and General Market budget reported an operating surplus, but income was less than predicted and there was a vacancy rate of 50% in the Butcher’s Market.

Financial information from the markets is also detailed, with the town centre markets expected to generate an overall operating surplus of £35,462, however the year-end actual position was a surplus of £26,773. The 18-19 Butchers Market rent was slightly higher than expected at £45,519 (£69,000 budget, £43,715 expected).

Footfall data is also displayed, with counters installed in the indoor markets since August 2019. As of November 2019, footfall counters were recording an average of 9,000 per week at the Butchers Market and 1,500 in the General Market.

Comments from a General Market representative are included in the report, explaining their concerns about any future work to the markets as well as noting that their expertise should not be ignored, as well as pleading for communication: “Long term stability, businesses no longer have the available resources to make changes quickly, so please give us as much notice of any plans as possible so we can commit to your vision and work together for the future prosperity of the markets”

“Maintaining income during any works, it’s essential to the businesses in the General Market that they continue to trade while work is being done on the building wherever possible.”

Recent history is also referenced, stating: “Honesty with traders, we saw with Tŷ Pawb that traders were not always told the full truth about the plans, which was for the greater good of the project.

“This proved not to be in the best interest of many of the traders and many suffered more hardship than they should have”.

In a range of practical suggestions of improvements, the markets are also asking to be included in current and future plans: “Integration with the town centre plans.

The markets need to be involved at all levels, they are such a unique selling point but rarely benefit from any positive action or promotion of other town projects or events. Regular planning of town events needs to be open to creative ideas to include all town assets.”

A representative from the Butchers Market is firmer against possible changes along the lines of making the market hall a place to eat and drink to increase ‘dwell time’, “To obtain dwell space would require the reduction of centre stalls.

“We struggle to understand why the Task and Finish Group think it is a wise move to create more empty space in a second market. The town already has more than ample space in Tŷ Pawb.

“If customers require a food hall, Tŷ Pawb is the place to go. People can sit there all day if they want to. It is NOT what we want in the Butchers Market.”

The representative continues onto makes twelve suggestions they believe could be of immediate benefit to the market, including “Reinstate the bus route up and down High Street, stopping opposite the market entrance, encourage bus companies from outside Wrexham to drop their passengers off in High Street.”

However the group concluded “…that the key element to creating successful markets appeared to be the provision of ‘pleasure and leisure’. Food and 11 entertainment was a common theme in attracting footfall in both the Chester and Altrincham markets and was something which could be developed in Wrexham”.

Chester being of interest as recent changes to a grim building up the road saw occupancy levels after the refurbishment and change of offer increase from 40% to 95% with a spend of around £35,000 to achieve that.

Although the committee will formulate their own recommendations, they are presented with two guide ‘options’ in the report:

1 No Change – The Butchers Market and General Market buildings will continue to decline and the markets offer will not meet the changing customer demands outlined in the public consultation. This will impact on the future sustainability of the markets and could result in a loss of funding to invest in the regeneration of the Henblas area of the town.

2 Support the regeneration the markets in line with the proposed vision –  Improvements will be made to enhance the important historical and architectural features of the Butchers and General Markets. Improvements will also include the creation of dwell space to enable the type of food and leisure offer supported in the public consultation which should lead to increased footfall and trade, particularly with the developments in the Henblas Street commercial area referred to paragraph 4.8. It will also enable improvements to the access to the markets which is supported in the market trader consultation.

When speaking to councillors and officers thanks was also offered to the cross party councillors who have made up the Task and Finish group, as well as the Scrutiny Facilitator who was roundly praised for their hard work over the last year on the project so far.

Councillors will consider the report and form recommendations on Wednesday in the main chamber of the Guildhall. The meeting should be available via the council’s webcasting service, live and after the meeting on replay.