Plans to revitalise Wrexham’s historic indoor markets have been submitted.
The Grade II-listed General and Butchers markets lie at the heart of the Wrexham City Centre Conservation Area and forms part of the Wrexham Townscape Heritage Scheme funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government – Transforming Towns Fund, and Wrexham Council's capital programme.
Both markets are now in need of essential maintenance, repairs, and modernisation as they contribute a significant amount of character and heritage value to Wrexham’s City Centre, providing links to the historical development of Wrexham through trade and industry.
Wrexham Council appointed architectures, Lawray to develop proposals in response to the vision outlined in Wrexham’s Townscape Heritage Scheme.
The plans have now been submitted for planning approval and Listed Building Consent.
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The proposals seek to remodel the markets to provide opportunities to accommodate a wider variety of traders, creating a flexible space for the markets. This will increase the markets’ destination offer whilst being a catalyst for the continuing commercial investment and regeneration within Wrexham city centre.
A spokesman for Lawray said: "Entrances to the Butchers Market will be enhanced to draw people into the market building and improve connectivity with the town centre. A basement will be created for trader storage under the 1880 Jacobean-style main entrance on the High Street.
"The introduction of new stairs and a lift will enable traders to move items between the market and the basement, whilst also allowing for the creation of a rentable double-vaulted first floor space that will have newly-introduced views into the main market hall. Options to extend units either side of the entrance into the High Street have also been proposed.
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"New layouts for the central stalls in the market hall will improve footfall and orientation around the market, with breakout space provided for demountable food outlet seating. Perimeter stalls will be extended to provide much needed display space and the roof will be repaired to provide UVA protection to traders and shoppers.
In the General Market the central stall layout will be rationalised to improve circulation with flexible units for tenants. The existing historic outer units will be refurbished, and the hall will be redecorated along with the provision of a new café.
The spokesman added: "Unlocking the potential of the markets will provide a better environment for traders and a vibrant, diverse, and convenient place to shop and expand Wrexham’s destination offer.
"Both markets will benefit from upgraded services, a WiFi network, CCTV, storage facilities, and a new disabled access will be built off the main Butchers market entrance on the High Street. The markets internal space is being redesigned to provide flexible space to improve the use of the indoor markets along with boosting the local economy.
"When complete the Wrexham Market refurbishments will capitalise on the town’s historic features and contribute to Wrexham’s vision to be an attractive, distinctive, and accessible 21st century city, where people want to live, work and play."
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