Piazza hopes boosted for historic hall

Three specialist companies have been appointed. LDN Architects, based in Edinburgh, which will work closely with business planners L&R Consulting and, leading the heritage interpretation and activity planning, Wafer Hadley.

Mark Hopton, partner at LDN, said: "Buildings like the Piece Hall create a unique sense of place and identity that help us define who we are and influence our community and cultural life. The Piece Hall's beautifully proportioned arcades also contain one of the most remarkable public squares in the UK but it is a space that is sadly underused at present.

"The challenge for the project team is therefore to conserve and sympathetically adapt the historic buildings to new uses that are sustainable in the long term whilst transforming the courtyard into the world-class square that it should be. We are delighted to be involved in such a nationally significant project.''