Greater Manchester town to get brand new food hall next year- with space for 9 new traders

A new food hall in Bolton market and a nearby urban park are set to open in the new year. Early 2024 will see the final stages of work to create Elizabeth Park, and to put the finishing touches of the Bolton Market food hall.

The park, named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, will be a new green space occupying the site of the former Odeon cinema. It will have seating, picnic tables and a public performance space, with a programme of events and activities planned.

Across the road, the market’s new food hall includes space for nine different traders serving a central communal seating area. Other improvements to the market include the expansion of the outdoor area and structural renovations.

The £5.59m project aims to increase the variety of stalls, appeal to younger shoppers, and create a space where people can meet and socialise in the evenings. Work on the market has been completed by local firm Seddon, who officially handed the building back to the council earlier this month.

John Shannon, managing director of property services at Seddon, said: “Being part of a project with such transformative influence, closely tied to our local community, has truly been a privilege. We look forward to seeing the diverse range of new businesses at the stalls in the market and the community’s response to the space with the newly built improvements.

“At Seddon, we firmly believe that people make places. Initiatives such as this provide us with the opportunity to share our experience and expertise, contributing to the local fabric of Bolton, a community we take great pride in being a part of.”

Both projects have been supported by the government’s town’s fund, which is funding a number of projects designed to transform this section of the town centre. The newly renovated Bolton Central Library is also set to re-open in 2024, as is the new innovation hub for business start ups in the Wellsprings office building.

The improvements are complemented by the neighbouring Moor Lane development which is being delivered by Step Places, working with Bolton at Home and Bolton Council. Once completed, Moore Lane will feature 218 new apartments and townhouses as well as commercial units and green spaces.

Bolton Council’s deputy leader, Coun Akhtar Zaman, visited the market and Elizabeth Park to view progress ahead of their official public openings in 2024. He said: “Elizabeth Park and the new food hall are key projects in our ongoing work to transform this part of town into a vibrant urban neighbourhood.

“The park is an excellent example of urban green space, transforming a brownfield site into a place that people who live, work, study and visit the town centre can enjoy. The new food hall is a modern and exciting hospitality space that will help us increase both the number of visitors to the market and the amount of time they spend there.

“Both of these new facilities will be great assets for the growing number of town centre residents moving into Moor Lane and other development sites.”