£1 million funding boost for Burslem Market Hall

Work to restore and bring Burslem Market Hall back into use has received a major boost after a £1 million government funding award.

Burslem Market Hall has been awarded the money through the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, a programme funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and delivered by Historic England.

The funding will build on the major programme of repairs already under way, supporting further works needed to bring the Grade II listed building back into long-term use.

The council is investing around £4 million of funding to repair the market hall and make it suitable for temporary uses while long-term plans are developed.

The market hall, which dates from 1879, closed in 2003 after the building became unsafe.

Current works include stripping back and replacing the roof, retaining as much of the original Victorian ironwork as possible.

Essential repairs are also being carried out to the brickwork, glazing, timber structures, guttering and drainage systems to make the building watertight and structurally sound.

Further improvements are being carried out to support temporary uses, including pop-up markets, events and community activities, while options for the building’s long-term future continue to be developed following public consultation earlier this year.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council and ward councillor for Burslem, said: "As a Burslem councillor, I know how much the Market Hall means to people here. Generations of families shopped under that roof, and for more than twenty years they've had to watch it stand empty in the heart of the Mother Town.

"We made a choice not to let that carry on. The council is putting around £4 million into saving this building, and this £1 million from Government shows that others now believe in Burslem as much as we do.

"There's more to do before the doors open again, but the work is under way and the momentum is real. Burslem's best days are not behind it."

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for growth, regeneration and transport at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "A market hall should be full of life, with traders, families and events. For too long, Burslem's has been a building people walk past rather than walk into. This funding brings us a big step closer to changing that.

"It means the repairs already under way can go further: a sound roof, a watertight building, and a hall that is safe to open for pop-up markets, events and community activities while we work out its long-term future with the people of Burslem.

"When we declared a Heritage Emergency, we said Stoke-on-Trent's historic buildings were worth fighting for, and that we would make the case for the investment needed to save them. Today shows that case is being heard. There's a lot done and a lot still to do, and we're not going to stop now."

Louise Brennan, Director of Regions, Historic England, said: “Historic buildings are an important part of what gives places across England their character and identity, and they can be powerful assets for the communities around them. By investing in buildings at risk, we have an opportunity not only to protect important heritage, but to unlock their potential, breathe new life into historic places and showcase what makes communities distinctive.

“This funding will support urgent conservation needs while helping projects move towards sustainable futures, whether through continued use, new uses or bringing valued buildings back into active use. We are pleased to support projects across England that demonstrate how investment in heritage can help create stronger, more distinctive and more vibrant places for the future.”

The £1 million award forms part of a wider Government funding package announced by DCMS to support some of England’s most at-risk historic buildings, helping to secure their long-term future through repair, conservation and sustainable reuse.

Earlier this year, Stoke-on-Trent became the first city in the UK to declare a Heritage Emergency, highlighting the need for £325 million of public and private investment over the next decade to rescue historic buildings, tackle dereliction and unlock regeneration opportunities across the city.

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund award adds to the growing programme of investment aimed at protecting historic buildings and bringing them back into use.