Leicester Indoor Market 'should be demolished'

The indoor market could be relocated outside in an attempt to boost trade, says the council

The majority of people consulted over the future of Leicester's indoor market want it demolished, according to the city council.

The authority invited shoppers, traders and retailers to comment on how the market could be improved and developed to attract more customers.

More than 800 people responded to the survey which was carried out after plans for a £9m revamp were shelved.

The council said it would now look at proposals from the results.

One possibility would be to relocate the current fish, meat and cheese traders to a new covered location, the council said.

Of those who responded in favour of the option to demolish the existing market there was support for the building of a new food hall.

'Positive news'

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "What the findings of this initial consultation show us is that the indoor food hall is something that people in Leicester want to see and is something that existing customers value highly.

"But it is also clear that many people agree that the building is no longer fit for purpose.

"We now need to fully explore our options for building a new food hall to see if this is something we can feasibly deliver."

Patrick Deevey, chair of the National Market Traders Federation Leicester branch, said: "This is positive news for customers and traders. The indoor market is poorly designed and clearly in need of regeneration.

"We look forward to seeing what the council comes up with."

Proposals from the results of the survey would again be put forward for another public consultation, the council added.