Traders in Wigan have voiced concern that the new market hall planned as part of the Fettlers redevelopment will have insufficient space for the town’s existing market community. Wigan Council announced earlier this year it will take over management of the new facility from the Northern Lights Group. The wider Fettlers scheme will include more than 400 homes, leisure provision, bars, restaurants, a public square and a hotel.
Traders fear loss of passing trade and market identity
Several stallholders say the proposed market building will accommodate only a handful of the current businesses, with reports that just 21 stalls are planned inside the new hall. They warn that moving to standalone units elsewhere in the town centre would not replicate the benefits of a busy indoor market where passing trade is crucial to sales.
"We're not guaranteed a stall ... you've got to apply for it, and I don't know what I'll be offered, so I can't really decide whether to move elsewhere in Wigan town centre."
The comment above came from Anthony Ainscough, who has operated the Vacuum Repairs stall at Wigan Indoor Market for 40 years. He underlined the difference between running a shop and working from a stall, pointing to the importance of footfall created by neighbouring traders.
Members of the Leigh family, who run Clunan's food stall and whose involvement in the market stretches back more than a century, echoed the concern. They stressed that a market’s strength comes from traders drawing customers together and questioned plans to site a national coffee chain near the market entrance if there is not room for traditional stallholders.
Council engagement and trader support measures
Wigan Council says it has been meeting trader representatives and has offered alternative space in the town centre to those who cannot be accommodated inside the new building. The authority has also provided rent reductions for existing traders to help cope with reduced footfall while construction is under way.
- Fettlers redevelopment includes > 400 homes, leisure, hospitality and a hotel
- Wigan Council to take over running of the new market hall from Northern Lights Group
- Concerns from traders that only 21 stalls are planned inside the new market building
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Planned market stalls (reported) | 21 |
| Homes in Fettlers scheme | More than 400 |
Traders say the current construction site for the Fettlers project has already left the existing market hall effectively isolated on the edge of the town centre, contributing to lower footfall. Although the council has introduced temporary rent relief, stallholders argue the long‑term viability of their businesses depends on being grouped together where they can benefit from mutual trade and passing shoppers.
As the redevelopment progresses, traders and council officials will need to agree the balance between commercial operators attracted by a new leisure and hospitality quarter and the town’s traditional market community. For many long‑established stallholders, securing space in the new hall is about preserving a livelihood and the character of Wigan’s market culture rather than simply securing premises.
