Derby Market Hall to reduce opening hours

The new Market Hall reopened in May following a £35m refurbishment

Derby Market Hall is set to reduce its opening hours, in a decision the council said came after "carefully monitoring footfall and gathering feedback" from traders and customers.

The building reopened to shoppers in May after a £35.1m refurbishment.

From Monday, the Market Hall will close on Mondays and extend its hours on Sundays, reducing its total operating hours by three.

The council said the changes were "designed to create a more vibrant and sustainable experience for everyone".

The council has also announced "quiet hours" for customers

Sunday opening hours will now be from 10:00 until 18:00, effective from Sunday 28 September. The current Sunday hours are 11:00 until 15:00.

The council has also announced "quiet hours" for customers every Wednesday and Saturday, from 09:00 to 10:00.

During this time, music will be turned off and announcement volumes reduced.

A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the BBC revealed almost 800 traders had been turned down from having a unit in the Market Hall.

The council said it was aiming to "carefully curate" stalls that highlighted "local talent and independent traders, while offering a diverse range of goods".

In a separate FOI request, the BBC asked the council to provide footfall figures, showing how many people had visited the Market Hall.

In a response sent on 11 September, the council said it only held daily, weekly or monthly figures for the building's first nine days of opening in May and June, when it attracted a total of 85,000 people.

'Long-term success'

Leader of the authority, Nadine Peatfield, said: "We've listened to our customers and traders and have decided to alter Derby Market Hall's opening hours slightly.

"Mondays are typically on the quieter side, while visitors enjoying a Sunday afternoon at the Market Hall aren't ready to leave at 3pm.

"It's also really important to us that the Market Hall works for our brilliant independent traders. Many of them are small operations, and opening seven days a week isn't always feasible.

"Closing on Mondays allows them to manage their business and maintain consistent opening times for customers while hopefully having some well-deserved time off.

"The transformation of the Market Hall was a huge landmark for the city centre, and we are proactively monitoring how things are going in these early days to make any changes needed to ensure its long-term success.

"We're always looking for ways to improve and, as part of our commitment to accessibility, we're excited to introduce 'quiet hours' to make sure all visitors feel comfortable."