Traders who have been running their business in a market for years say they have been forced to leave and promises of support from the council have fallen flat.
Jayde Holmes, representative of Bacup Market stall holders, says the market shut its doors last Saturday after traders were notified by the council earlier this year they would have to move in order to allow preparation to begin for the proposed £8.3million redevelopment of Bacup Market and Union Street. The council say the rejuvenation of the market will transform Bacup town centre into an ‘inviting space’ and address declining shopper and trader numbers, as well as make the market appeal to a much wider audience.
The aim is to widen food and drink options and create a seated food hall environment to encourage visitors to spend more time in Bacup in the day and early evening. Jayde says the traders were told in 2023 by the council they would find suitable alternative premises in the centre of Bacup to allow them to continue their business while the works are being carried out.
However, traders say they have been abandoned and fear family-run and independent businesses will be unable to survive after dedicating more than 120 years of service combined to Bacup Market.
Jayde, who ran the Rossendale Responsible Animal Rescue stall, said: “Traders feel cheated and everything they’ve worked towards has just gone. We have many empty buildings in Bacup but traders cannot afford the rents.
“They were initially told by the council they could apply for a grant of up to £2,500 and now the council are saying they can’t have it because such a clause says they cannot. Last year the council got a new economic development team and it went from ‘we will help you find alternative premises’ to ‘you cannot have shipping containers to move into because it’s capital funding which cannot be used for this purpose’.
“So Christmas 2023 came and traders were told as compensation they could trade rent-free from the beginning of January until the market closed.”
Jayde says the council are pre-emptively moving stall holders before getting planning permission for the changes proposed for the market. A document on the council’s website entitled ‘Planning update summary’ outlines the updated architectural design and adjustments which have been made to the submitted planning application for the proposed new Temple Court Market Hall development in Bacup town centre.
Layout changes have been made such as widening the ground floor WC lobby/corridor to 1,800mm and introducing a ground floor ‘Unisex Accessible WC’ in addition to the ‘Unisex Changing’. The proposed levels of the building have also been raised to suit Lead Local Flood Authority’s criteria for drainage and flood risk management strategy for the site.
Other adjustments include two-hour short stay parking spaces by the main building entrance on Market Street, in front of the existing bus stop as well as a short stay parking bay on Union Square suitable for light goods vehicles. The report adds the proposed Market Hall building has been moved ‘nominally northwards by 500mm to allow suitable external circulation space in this area to comply with building regulations.’
Jayde said: “The design the council are showing now is not the same design as the one they showed when they bid on the Levelling Up money. I have been asking the council for months when the proposed redevelopment will be going to the planning committee, which should have happened in September.
“The market was closed for 10 days in October to do ground work investigations and the report from that is still not back.”
Peter Chadwick behind his stall the Ye Olde Hillbilly Bakery at Bacup Market with his wife Jacqueline and two daughters Melissa and Rachael
Rossendale Council say in the ‘Planning update summary’ document the adjustments made to the scheme since its initial submission address comments and feedback and revisions requested from consultees throughout the planning process.
The document reads: “Overall, the principle of the proposed Temple Court Market scheme remains the same; to deliver a high-quality mixed-use commercial development in Bacup town centre and for this reason it is believed this application should still be granted approval.”
Jayde also says the council have yet to address United Utilities’ concerns about the planning application.
A document entitled ‘United Utilities further comments’ on Rossendale Council’s planning application portal reads: “The plans are not acceptable to United Utilities. This is because we have not seen robust evidence that the drainage hierarchy has been thoroughly investigated and the proposals are not in line with the Non-Statutory Technical Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems.”
In addition, Jayde says the council only gave traders a week to move their belongings, but after some pushback the deadline has been extended to the beginning of February. She added the uncertainty around the details of Bacup Market may mean traders won’t return.
Muhammad Azaal has been running clothing stall Iccy Glossop for three years. He says he is considering moving his business to another market but is unlikely to return to Bacup.
The business owner said: “It is not the best to be moved out but it has to be done. Once you establish businesses in a different market you lose your customer base in Bacup.
“It depends how far the market is where I decide to set up a stall.”
Jayde added: “The council don’t know if they will run the market themselves or tender it out. There is no date by which they need to make a decision on the planning application and originally the deadline to complete the works was March 2026, but it has been extended to May 2026.
“That is a long time for traders to be out of business and they will have to apply again to trade on the site even though they were traders there before, and the rent after the work is done will be high. The council has to prepare the site, demolish the market, build a new complex with businesses up and running all within 17 months.”
Kevin Cockshott, who has run a fruit and vegetable stall at Bacup Market for more than 40 years, has returned to his shop in Burnley, while owner of Pete’s Butchers, Peter Duxbury, may retire early. Louisa Price, who runs Bacup Card Creations, is looking at other options to conduct her business like taking online orders, as well as Tammy Kennion from Scents and More.
John Monks, who owns John Monk Fishmonger, will trade at Haslingden and Rawtenstall markets. Owner of R&M Cross Traditional Butchers, Raymond Cross, is considering his options.
Bacup Market closed in the same month Haslingden Market reopened after the completion of a £500,000 refurbishment. Meanwhile, in Accrington traders were moved into bespoke cabins on the town square in 2024 while the £11million redevelopment to transform Accrington Market Hall takes place.
Traders say this stark contrast only a short distance away makes them feel Bacup businesses have been forgotten and soon small businesses will dwindle.
Jayde continued: “We have long argued in Bacup we can just renovate what we have got. Haslingden Market has added features like a central area with benches which Bacup Market already has, so why can’t we just renovate what we’ve got in Bacup instead of spending all that money?”
Peter Chadwick opened his stall the Ye Olde Hillbilly Bakery at Bacup Market in 2014 and sold vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and meat pies
Peter Chadwick opened his stall the Ye Olde Hillbilly Bakery in 2014 and sold vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and meat pies. The self-employed sole trader ran four units at Bacup Market and therefore he says he would not be able to afford the rent at Haslingden Market where pies are being sold anyway.
He says he has found a shop in Bacup where he may be able to continue his business. Peter said: “At first we were told we couldn’t spend the £2,500 grant on rent, decorating or moving.
“We could only spend it on capital, that being machines. Then we were told actually they can’t pay out the grant.
“I feel very let down. When the council sent out a letter telling us we needed to move they addressed all of the letters to John and didn’t change the name of the recipient.
“They then just crossed out John’s name and wrote the recipient’s name which added insult to injury.”
Rossendale Council were contacted for comment.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox