Derelict market gets £1m heritage funding boost

A 19th-century market hall in Stoke-on-Trent is among 74 heritage sites in England due to receive a share of £41m for repairs and renovations.

The Grade II listed Burslem indoor market, on Queen Street, was built in 1879, but it shut in 2003 after masonry dropped from the ceiling and it became unsafe, the council said.

The market is set to receive £1m as part of the funding allocation, which comes after a £4m scheme got under way in April.

"I think it will be beneficial if they're going to help people who want to start a little business in there," said Lisa from Upper Crust Cafe.

"It depends how much they charge when they do open it up," she added. "A lot [of] people think it might be like it was years ago."

"My dad used to have a little stall in the market, a music stall, and it was great back then, but it's whether you can bring that back."

The government has announced that churches, synagogues, town halls and other historic buildings would benefit from two new funding schemes - the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.

Earlier in the year, a separate £1m grant was pulled over concerns about the large upfront costs of materials and potential delays to the work starting.

Historic England instead offered a development grant of up to £200,000 to support the next stage of planning and feasibility work at the market.

Meanwhile, local resident Janey, 63, hoped the latest round of funding could result in more people being attracted back into the town.

"Bring the markets back, bring shops back; all you come to Burslem for is to drink, eat or have your haircut. There's nothing else in Burslem," she said.

Heritage minister Baroness Twycross said the grant would allow "much-loved buildings" to stay open in the future.

"Nothing tells the stories of our nation quite like the historic buildings at the heart of our communities.

"But too often they are a far cry from their former glory with leaking roofs and crumbling stonework.

"Thanks to this funding, the much-loved buildings that fill our hometowns with character will be keeping the doors open to communities for years to come."

Co-chief executives of Historic England, Emma Squire and Claudia Kenyatta, said the funding would help support historic buildings that faced significant repair and conservation needs.

The government added there would be further rounds of funding to benefit dozens more sites as part of the wider £1.5bn Arts Everywhere Fund, which aims to save more than 1,000 at-risk venues in England.

"It's only a good thing; it has been a bit poor around here for a while," added Jake of Burslem's Fused Sports.

"It's going to make our street look better. It's more eyes on businesses and more people around, so hopefully it should have the right effect on everyone."

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