A new future for Radcliffe Market is being envisioned to boost trade and encourage more people to the town centre.

Bury Council has appointed a new independent operator to run all aspects of the market and create a thriving and popular venue in the town centre.

The new company is called Impact Management Solutions, who aim to put food and drink plus evening entertainment at the market’s heart.

IMS will be responsible for: day-to-day management of the market building and stallholders; repairs and maintenance; issuing licences to stallholders and allocating stalls; cleaning, waste removal and health and safety; and promoting the market across the borough and surrounding areas.

Ricky Davies of IMS said: “We are delighted to have won the tender to manage Radcliffe Market Hall. We have ambitious plans for this wonderful civic space. We feel that, while the traditional market has suffered a downturn in recent years, the success of Friday Food Nights and Farrah’s Café there and the flourishing of food-led markets elsewhere shows that there is a great deal of interest in an innovative and imaginative offering.

“We will operate this space so that it’s much more than a 5-day market. We intend for there to be activity and attraction 7 days a week staging events, speciality markets which will create local jobs, enterprise and lots of community initiatives throughout the annual calendar. Our ambition is to promote healthy food, develop low carbon sustainable food supply and celebrate the best of this area’s produce, services and culture.”

IMS are looking at setting up a Radcliffe Market Hall Community Benefit Society (CBS), which means that the market hall will directly benefit from the successes of the new market.

Ricky added: “We’re mindful that we need to offer both value for money and a quality offering to Radcliffe and we look forward to meeting the challenge of supporting regeneration of the town centre. One way in particular that we’ll do this is by inviting people to be part of this new venture. It is intended that lots of the activity in the building will be community led, i.e. run for and by local people. So if you have a good idea or want to get involved with us, please come along and see us in the Market Hall. This week’s Friday food night is going to be a great celebration of this success. See you at 6pm!”

Councillor Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: “Radcliffe is changing, and so are markets, and we want Radcliffe Market Hall to change with it.

“Major developments have taken place, and more are planned, around the market hall and the town centre. We want to take advantage of these developments and see the market as crucial to the town’s ongoing regeneration.”

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