Traders and shoppers at Newcastle’s historic Grainger Market can finally celebrate the end of a costly and heavily-delayed refurbishment project.
Scaffolding has dominated a section of the city centre market for years as engineers have worked to replace the site’s “crumbling” barrelled roof. The troubled works were meant to be completed three years ago, in March 2020, but have dragged on after being hit with a number of setbacks – with Newcastle City Council forced to borrow almost £2m extra to cover the spiralling cost of the scheme.
But there is good news at last, with officials confirming that the renovation is now complete and the scaffolding will be removed in a matter of weeks. Attention now turns to the next upgrade of the beloved Geordie institution, which was awarded £7m of Levelling Up funding from the Government in 2021.
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It has not yet been confirmed exactly how that money will be spent, though past suggestions from traders have included better heating, refurbished toilets and more seating. A council spokesperson said: “The multi-million-pound refurbishment of the Grainger Market Arcade roof is now complete. Contractors are now in the process of dismantling the scaffolding.
“This is expected to take several weeks, and we have contacted traders to reassure them that every effort will be made to do this as safely and as quickly as possible with minimum disruption. If there are any issues, they should contact us directly. We are now working closely with the traders on plans for further improvements to the market after the council was successful in securing £7m of Levelling Up funding from Government.
“We would like to thank members of the public and the traders for their patience and cooperation during the roof refurbishment project. As with work on all old buildings, the project was not without its setbacks.
"The Grade 1 Listed building has now been restored to its former glory and will continue to offer a unique experience for visitors, celebrating all that the traders have to offer our city. The Levelling Up funding will help us to take the market to a new level, creating a new destination for the city.”
The roof renovation was originally announced in July 2017, but work did not begin until two years later. In November 2019, contractors Esh Build then had to put the refurbishment on hold for 20 months after “hidden problems” were uncovered at the market, which opened in 1835.
Structural weaknesses in the Grainger Market’s gable walls were blamed for the delays, while the city council approved an extra £1.9m of borrowing in 2021 to complete the project – taking its total cost to £5.15m. In the meantime, the council had stated that keeping the market running costs the city £300,000-a-year – branding it a “drain” on resources.
Traders also suffered badly during the Covid-19 pandemic and racked up more than half a million pounds in rent arrears to the local authority, which was criticised for refusing to reduce rent rates even when market stallholders were banned from opening during lockdown.
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