Market to move for Monday maintenance

York Council said the maintenance work should improve Newgate Market in the heart of the historic city.

The exact cost has yet to be established – as the extent of the maintenance cannot be fully assessed until work is under way.

The decision to overhaul the market means that traders will have to move to Parliament Street each Monday throughout the summer.

However, a council spokeswoman stressed that this will only be temporary and is not part of any wider plan to relocate the market more permanently.

The council’s cabinet member for leisure, culture and social inclusion, Councillor Sonja Crisp, added: “York’s daily market is an iconic part of the city’s retail history.

“The temporary move to Parliament Street every Monday throughout the summer will highlight the market’s delights to visitors, as well as enabling much needed maintenance work to be carried out on the stalls in Newgate.”

The first of the markets in Parliament Street will be held as part of the city’s celebrations for St George’s Day, next Monday.

The Monday market is scheduled to return to Newgate in the autumn.

The market – with about 100 different stalls most days – has been at the heart of York’s trade throughout the centuries.

However, more recently concerns have been voiced that the historic business could fall victim to the economic downturn.

In 2009, York Council approved a review of the market, just off The Shambles, after income from stallholders decreased significantly.