The re-opening of Leyland Market for a major refurbishment and improvement has been delayed by a year.
The historic building is undergoing a multi-million pound modernisation as part of a wider regeneration made possible thanks to Town Deal funding from the government and additional investment from South Ribble Borough Council.
A council press release updating on the works described it as “moving at pace” and explained that structural surveys have taken place, asbestos removed from the building and all existing stalls removed.
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It said there is now a blank canvas in place ready for the refurbishment and stated the current forecast for the Leyland Market opening and completion is late 2026. It had previously said the closure would last 12 months from a starting date of September 2024.
When questioned by Blog Preston about the delayed date, council leader Cllr Matthew Tomlinson said: “The Leyland Town Deal project is progressing well. We’re pleased by the progress of the works on Quin Street and the successful relocation of Leyland Market to the temporary Kings Court location. Significant work to the Market building has already taken place, and the full refurbishment is now set to commence.
“Timescales for significantly large projects such as this often vary due to a number of factors. The original plan for the Leyland Market refurbishment outlined an approximate 12-month timeline, however on appointing a contractor, further work was required to agree a scheme that met both the council’s budget and the project’s principles. These discussions meant that other areas of the project were delivered ahead of the start of the market refurbishment.
“While we have focussed our phasing of the project work slightly differently than planned, we are pleased we were able to re-home the market quickly so people could continue to enjoy the offer and shop locally. People will soon see a flurry of work taking place at the Leyland Market site as our contractor prepares to deliver the exciting refurbishment scheme.
“We will continue to keep people updated about the Town Deal project and we are looking forward to seeing the development progress.”
As part of the refurbishment, the interior of the existing market building will be updated with new stalls including central stalls, an expanded food offer and the provision of a bar. The market will also include new external stalls to have a direct relationship to a new market square which is being created as part of the wider regeneration.
Finally, the market hall structure will be refurbished while retaining the internal historic building structure, which formerly served as a Leyland Motors factory, and the long-term problematic roof will be replaced with a new sustainable structure.
The market has temporarily been relocated to nearby Kings Court and the council says this will remain the case until the refurbished site reopens. Blog Preston asked South Ribble Borough Council to explain the delay.
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