Markets ACT as catalysts for town centre regeneration

Activate footfall, boost local economies

and bring communities together.

Our Work

DONCASTER MARKET

In September 2018 MAM (Doncaster) Ltd entered a 25-year lease partnership with City of Doncaster Council. MAM (Doncaster) assumed responsibility for the Victorian Food Market Hall, Fish Market, Goose Hill, Sunnybar Market, Corn Exchange, Doncaster Wool Market, Outdoor Market and Marketplace shops as well as Mexborough indoor and outdoor markets.

Up until the MAM (Doncaster's) takeover, the market was commercially failing with significant voids, poor occupational agreement management, unmanaged trader debts and annual trading losses of £0.5M p.a.

The market estate is probably the largest in the UK, requiring significant redevelopment.

Doncaster Wool Market (32,000 sq.ft.)

Just prior to the new management and lease agreement between MAM (Doncaster) and CDC, Raymond Linch acted directly for CDC in developing Doncaster Wool Market into the UK’s largest F&B offer, including:

8 Street Food Kitchens
4 Bars
Competitive Leisure
2 Stages
Seating for 500

Since its launch as a F&B and leisure facility, anti-social behaviour in the are has reduced dramatically and the commercial regeneration of the area owing to high quality evening economy has resulted in a total reduction of commercial voids in the area.

The long lease was coupled and underpinned with a market redevelopment programme funded jointly by Central Government and Regional funding has enabled MAM (Doncaster) to embark on several market development projects, including:

Corn Exchange (30,000 sq. ft)
International Foodhall (35,000 sq.ft.)
Sunnybar Market (25,000 sq.ft.)
Marketplace (50,000 sq.ft.)

DONCASTER MARKET

The market estate is probably the largest in the UK, requiring significant redevelopment.

Our Work

DONCASTER MARKET

The market estate is probably the largest in the UK, requiring significant redevelopment.

Doncaster Wool Market (32,000 sq.ft.)

8 Street Food Kitchens
4 Bars
Competitive Leisure
2 Stages
Seating for 500

Corn Exchange (30,000 sq. ft)
International Foodhall (35,000 sq.ft.)
Sunnybar Market (25,000 sq.ft.)
Marketplace (50,000 sq.ft.)

DARLINGTON MARKET

In September 2017 MAM (Darlington) Ltd. entered a 99-year lease partnership with Darlington Borough Council. MAMDL assumed responsibility for the Victorian Market Hall, Open Market and ‘Market rights’ across the Borough.

Up until the MAMDL takeover, the market was commercially failing with significant voids, a lack of occupational agreements and spiralling trader debts. The market hall required significant investment and suffered from leaking roof, a lack of any heating and market shop units is a state of disrepair.

The average age of the market traders were over 60 years old as were the typical shoppers and the market failed to attract younger and more prosperous visitors.

The long lease was coupled and underpinned with a market redevelopment programme funded jointly by Towns Funding of £3.5M and MAMDL funding of £2M.

The market redevelopment included:

Phase 1

A new roof for the indoor market hall
A new biomass wooden pellet boiler providing green energy heating to the market hall
The introduction of 6 new food kitchens, a market tap, communal seating for 300 and a stage to an area of the ground floor introducing new visitors into the market hall and driving a family-based evening economy

Phase 2

The transformation of two perimeter redundant market retail units into new restaurants with alfresco dining.
New public toilet facilities.
The transformation of redundant storage facilities in the vaulted basement into a cocktail and jazz bar operated in house by MAMDL.

Phase 3

Improvements to a further three perimeter shop units forming a continental bakery, cookery school and café, a butcher and a pack and despatch room.
The existing and somewhat tired market kiosks were removed and replaced with state-of-the-art retail and hospitality units of a truly contemporary design.

Phase 4 – Old Town Hall – Planning Stage

The market estate includes the old Victorian Town Hall and we are currently working with The Council to redevelop this under-used asset into a co-making space over 3 floors and with excellent access to the town-centre.

CREWE MARKET HALL

Raymond Linch was invited to visit Crewe Market in 2016, a 30,000 sq. ft Victorian Market Hall, which at the time only had one trader in occupation. The market was 95% un-let.

We were initially appointed by Cheshire East Borough Council in April 2016 for a little over a year and then again in late 2018, it will continue until the summer of 2020. The Council wanted to e develop its indoor market hall (£3.4m) and reviewing the way its mixed market portfolio across the Borough is delivered and managed. We advised the structure and content of the new operational agreement for the management of the markets estate which includes several open markets.

The Market Re-Development

We provided professional advice concerning the redevelopment of Crewe’s Victorian Market Hall, developing a business case for success including ownership and management options.

The Market Hall had been failing for a number of years with very few traders (occupancy was 5%) and only serving a very limited sector of the community. It’s location was somewhat off the town-centre retail core.

We produced the following elements of the scheme:

A demographic review of Crewe and surrounding areas to establish the profile of potential visitors to a newly refurbished Crewe Market.

Stakeholder engagement with Council officers, Crewe Town Council, schools and colleges and the local theatre.

We developed an aspirational tenant mix to create a larger, relevant more diverse market shopper base and associated letting schedule. The new market would also enjoy late night (9pm) opening particularly Thursday, Friday and Saturdays when a full entertainment programme will be implemented.

We worked with the Council’s legal partners to devise and manage a strategy to deliver vacant possession of the market enabling works to commence and trader continuity.

We developed an architect’s brief for the working part of the market, including refurbishment of Victorian retail units, new units for independent food and beverage offers, communal seating, an events space, with particular emphasis including:

Deliver excellent foot-flow patterns both to and from and within the market hall.
Engineer an ideal general arrangement including positioning of specific user clauses
Advise with respect to specifications and finishes

We developed a long-term financial business case underpinning capital investment in the scheme, valuing not only commercial advantages and costs associated with the scheme, but also financially valuing the socio-economic advantages.

Following completion of the project in 2020, Market Asset Management was awarded a lease and management agreement for Crewe Market.

The site has consistently operated at 100% occupancy through diligent management, enthusiastic approach to events and marketing and a first-class leasing department, continually reviewing tenants and replacing where necessary.