Work restarts on Santander building as market moves to Lord Square

Workmen at the former Santander bank

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Work to transform the former Santander building into the new home for Rochdale Market has restarted as traders have moved to Lord Square and the bottom of Yorkshire Street.

The new permanent market, run by specialists Quarterbridge, is set to open on The Butts and in the former Santander bank, alongside the re-opened river Roch, in Easter 2018.

In the meantime, Rochdale Market is now operating three days a week from a new temporary location at Lord Square and the bottom of Yorkshire Street. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the stalls have reduced in numbers with 19 gazebo stalls available.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/112415/rochdale-market-set-to-operate-three-days-a-week-from-new-lord-square-site

The market was initially expected to be operating from its new location by Easter this year. However, timescales for the opening of the permanent market have been extended to allow the proposals to be improved.

The council has carried out extensive survey work in the former Santander building, which was purchased by the council in December 2016, and, following discussion with Quarterbridge, realised that the site ‘has more potential than originally envisaged’.

After close to four decades in the Exchange Shopping Centre, Rochdale Market was forced to move, to the former 'Black Box' site in January 2015 – itself a temporary measure – where traders operated for two and a half years without basic facilities. Work on opening the river prevented the move of the market to the preferred locations of the former bank and The Butts.