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Calderdale Council hopes to have soon found a place to host Brighouse Market while improvement works are carried out at its current home.

As part of £19.1 million Town Deal funding, Brighouse Market will be revitalised with a new market building on the existing Ship Street canalside site.

This will have around 20 fixed stalls – each with water, drainage and power – plus a flexible central space which can be used for events or additional pop-up shops, says Brighouse Deal, which is is co-ordinated by the Brighouse Town Deal Board and supported by Calderdale Council.

Alongside spaces to sit, rest and meet there will be new public toilets plus storage places.

An artist's impression of how the new market building in Brighouse will look

But while work is carried out, business needs to go on and ward councillor Howard Blagbrough asked the council’s markets working party if a temporary home had yet been identified.

Councillor Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said he heard one potential temporary site was out of the running.

“I think it’s just ensuring that we communicate with the market traders because I noticed there was a bit of a downward turn the other week in relation to the number of stallholders.

“What we don’t want to do is lose those traders from coming back to Brighouse,” he said.

Councillor Howard Blagbrough said the council does not want to lose market traders

The council’s Markets Manager, John Walker, said he was in constant dialogue with traders and while there had been a downward trend, on the day of a public meeting relating to Coun Blagbrough’s point, six stallholders were attending a temporary event.

Aiming to build future markets around local produce and crafts, crafters in particular might attend specialised events - particularly at weekends – he said.

“We are still exploring other venues but we hope over the next month or so we will have identified where we’re going to go as a temporary location,” said Mr Walker.

One potential site dropping out made things a bit more “nervy” as time was ticking and it was hoped construction on the revitalised project would start in January.

If market occupancy falls during the transition period, it will effect revenue for the council, said Mr Walker.

Brighouse Market: Council needs to find somewhere new to hold Calderdale market while improvement work takes place at current site