Contractors start work on £4m project 

Business as usual is the message to shoppers who use Wellington Market as the contractors move in.

After weeks of consultations with traders, the work on Wellington Market starts this week. The work is being carried out by Pave Aways who have also been working on other projects in the town.

Starting on days when the market is closed to the public anyway, the plan is to cause as little disruption to shoppers as possible.  While your favourite stalls may be moving to a temporary location, it’s important to note that the market will remain open as usual throughout the £4m redevelopment.

Also from this week, the rent paid by market traders halves. Just one of the measures put in place by Telford & Wrekin Council to ensure that stall holders are not disadvantaged by the work.

Sally Themans is working with Telford & Wrekin and the Market Traders explained the concession that the council are making to ease the transition “Those traders who have to move while work is carried out around their stall, will have a rent-free period. When the work is complete, a further 6 month period of half-price rent will commence.”

“Much of the work will be bringing years of deferred essential maintenance up to date, keeping the rain out and the drains flowing.

“It would be much easier to close the market and get the work done more quickly, but keeping the market open is vital for the customers and the businesses operating in the market.”

While some traders are cautious about change, many are welcoming the long overdue investment. 

You only have to look at other successful markets around the UK to get a flavour of what Wellington Market could become as it looks to the next thirty years.

Wellington Market is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week.