Market's £5m rebuild to get under way

Work is set to begin on the £5m redevelopment of an outdoor market in Wolverhampton.

Improvement works to Bilston Outdoor Market is officially get under way on Wednesday 23 July, City of Wolverhampton Council said.

The 200-year-old market relocated to Bert Turner Boulevard, High Street and Church Street in October last year, to make way for the works, which should be completed by June 2026.

Displaced traders claimed a 60% drop in sales after the temporary move, but a motion appealing for financial support was defeated at a full council meeting in June.

The council said the market will deliver "the absolute best market in the West Midlands" - with more modern, accessible and "vibrant spaces" for traders and the local community.

The new market will have better access for pedestrians from the bus and Metro station, a new canopy, new toilets, stall improvements and improved public spaces.

Council leader Stephen Simkins, said that despite the discovery of difficult ground conditions at the market site, the council was "100% committed" to delivering the full scheme as agreed with traders.

He said: "Unfortunately, surveys revealed far more challenging ground conditions at the site than we had anticipated, so we have had to re-engineer parts of the project.

"This has driven up the cost of the scheme - but I can assure traders we will not compromise on our ambition and will deliver the full scheme exactly as agreed with them."

Council bosses have identified additional contingency funds of up to £2.5m to address the re-engineered scheme and other factors.

The council also said it will freeze rent costs of the indoor and outdoor market traders and is investing £15,000 in activities and events in and around the indoor market to help drive footfall.

Simkins added: "We promised traders they'd be the first to know once we got the timeline of the works, and I met with them face to face first this morning to talk through the plans and let them know how we're supporting them."

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