Bury Council rejects trader's claims no investment made in market

Traders were moved from Bury Market after a council survey found unsafe concrete

A council has rejected claims there has been no investment in a famous town market which traders were forced to leave over unsafe concrete concerns.

Stallholders were relocated from inside Bury Market Hall after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered there in October.

Steve Moloney, who had to move his BBQ Barn food business, said Bury Council had failed to maintain the building.

But a council spokesman said £700,000 had been spent in the last three years.

He said the claim was "totally false", adding the authority had built new toilets, lifts, entranceways and windows for the market that was "the jewel in Bury's crown".

"And we are making a £20m investment into a new flexi hall to complement the market and improve the town centre," he added.

The complaints about a lack of investment were raised by traders who have been unable to find new homes after they were told to leave when unsafe concrete was found in the market's roof.

Bury Council said it had worked "tremendously hard" to rehome most of the 49 stallholders affected, but ten stallholders, including Mr Moloney were still waiting for new premises.

Steve Moloney has been unable to reopen after his business was moved

Mr Moloney told BBC Radio Manchester he was running out of money after continuing to pay wages to some members of staff.

He said faults with the building had been highlighted as early as 1984, and repairs to the roof should have been prioritised ahead of other improvements.

"The money that this place was making in its heyday should have been put away for a rainy day," he said.

Susan Hargreaves is also waiting for her shop Terry's Jewellers to be rehomed, and said the lack of income had been a "nightmare".

"I've had depression, I have been sat there crying for no reason, I just want my business back," she said.

Jennifer Eagle-Cooper said her business could not survive on just three days a week.

Jennifer Eagle-Cooper's bookstore was moved to the open air section of the market, which only opens three days a week, compared to the week-long opening hours she enjoyed inside the Market Hall.

She said customer numbers had dropped by a third since she was moved and said the traders "need better advertisement to say where we are".

John Leech, owner of the Muffin Stall, said "time will tell" if the move would work for his business, after he was moved to a "reasonable spot" in the open market.

John Leech of the Muffin Stall said there was uncertainty about the future

"Until we know exactly where we are heading we have to consider this our new home," he said.

A Bury Council spokesman said the authority was waiting for surveyor's reports to look at the best options for reopening the market hall "as soon as we can".