Work begins on long-awaited £1.5m overhaul of medieval market

THE LONG-AWAITED overhaul of one of the North of England’s major open-air markets will begin on Monday as stallholders move to a temporary new site.

Plans for the £1.5m refurbishment of York’s historic Newgate market were unveiled in May after 18 months of talks with traders, residents and businesses.

Stallholders will temporarily move into Parliament Street, where the market is already held once a week in summer months while deep cleaning takes place at Newgate.

Coun Sonja Crisp, York’s Council cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, said stalls will start being moved on Monday, with traders relocating during that week for 16 weeks while the refurbishment is completed.

She added: “All businesses around the Newgate market site will still be very much open while the market will be running as usual and open daily 9am to 5pm, seven days a week in Parliament Street.”

Access through Newgate Market, which dates back to the medieval era, will be from the King’s Square end of the Shambles and down Newgate, while the snickelways from the Shambles will be closed for the 16 week period.

The council said the refurbishment of the market is on track to reopen in time for the newly extended St Nicholas Fair in late November.