£7m food market coming to North Liverpool

A new multi-million pound food centre for Liverpool’s fruit, vegetable and flower market is coming to Gillmoss.

A report to Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet next Friday (October 28) will recommend that the construction contract be awarded to Willmott Dixon to build the facility at Stonebridge Business Park in the north of the city.

Comprising more than 80,000 sq ft, the market will include a café, public toilets and on-site parking.

The new facility will replace the existing rundown site off Edge Lane in Old Swan.

It is hoped the market will complement other nearby developments, including the new £12m Geopost DPD parcel facility that has created 250 jobs and industrial units being built by regeneration firm St Modwen.

Meat and fish traders based in a property off Prescot Road not owned by the council will have the option of transferring to the market in a subsequent phase of the development.

The authority’s Cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This is a really exciting scheme which I know traders are delighted with.

“The existing market is in a really poor condition and the number of traders has been dwindling for a very long time, so we have been working hard to identify a new site which will put it on a solid footing and enable it to expand in the future.”

He continued: “We are also confident that we will be able to transfer the popular Sunday market and car boot sale over to the new location.

“This is all part of our wider aim of driving up the standard and quality of Liverpool’s markets now we’ve taken back control of them.”

Subject to planning consent, construction work on the development could start by the end of the year with an official launch in September 2017.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →