Derby’s Market Hall has good future ahead – insist officials in backing to traders

Derby's Market Hall. Image by LDRS.

Derby’s Market Hall has a “good future” ahead and its current situation is not all doom and gloom – councillors have said in a backing to traders.

The city centre venue opened last year following a £35 million renovation to reopen it after it closed a number of years ago.

But earlier this year its owners, Derby City Council, launched an internal commercial review into its opening and business case following public criticism of its operation and footfall.

It then emerged that the council had forecast the Market Hall to make a loss of £338,000 in the current financial year “due to a shortfall of trader income”.

The council said in response the figure “does not represent the full-year position for the Market Hall”.

Details about the review and decisions being made from it are likely to come out later this year.

One option that is being explored is for a private company to run and manage the Market Hall on the council’s behalf.

The future of the Market Hall came up in conversation at a Derby City Council executive scrutiny meeting on Monday night (September 7th).

Conservative councillor Matthew Holmes, who is chair of the scrutiny board, was very positive about the Market Hall.

He said: “Has anyone been lately? I have, there was a Northern Soul kind of event and it was absolutely busy. It was great and vibrant. It was good to see.

“It’s not all negative news and I think that is worth remembering.

“It’s something we are trying to support. Everyone needs to try and support it. I’m sure there’s a vibrant and positive future for the Market Hall.”

But Cllr Holmes acknowledged there were issues that needed to be addressed and the scrutiny board would await a report for further discussion.

Cllr Martin Rawson also praised the venue. He said: “I go before and after the football and there’s usually something on. I think it’s great.”

The comments come after stallholders at the building urged people to give the Market Hall a chance to succeed.

Steve Rouse, owner of Café Prosecco on the first floor, called for time to get the new Market Hall model right but said themed events were bringing thousands of people in.

He said: “We’ve got some good traders here, they just need to be given a chance.

“The areas such as Friar Gate and Sadler Gate are nowhere near what they were ten years ago. Times are changing.”

Michelle from “A Special Gift” said the first few months at the Market Hall were a success and the stall was getting high footfall.