- Demolition works will commence in March, beginning with Eccles Market
- The regeneration of Eccles Town Centre is backed by £10 million in funding
- Some locals have raised concerns, including regarding Eccles Market
More than a year after Salford City Council revealed plans to regenerate Eccles town centre, the first phase of demolition works are set to commence next month.
The project, which has £10 million in funding behind it, was announced last January after the council bought Eccles Shopping Centre.
Eccles Market will be the first site to be demolished in March 2024, a worrying prospect to some given Eccles’s history as a market town.
A November Facebook post made by Eccles Labour sought to quash concerns, with the post asserting that there is “no intention for anyone to lose their livelihoods as part of this process.”
Still keen to reassure locals a month before the market closes, Councillor Sharmina August, Lead Member for Inclusive Economy, Anti-Poverty and Equalities in Salford City Council, explained that there will ‘definitely’ be a market in the new vision for Eccles town centre.
Speaking to Monton Matters, Cllr August said: “When we did the Eccles visioning project, we said to people, ‘what what do you actually want in Eccles?’ and a market was firmly on that list.
“We don’t have a firm plan yet. As soon as we do have that plan, with a development partner, that’s what we’ll go out with to the public and ask ‘what do you think?’ and if people don’t like it, then that’s when we start changing things.
“But we can say that part of that plan most definitely will be a market, green space, a better variety of things to do in Eccles, housing, and cherishing our heritage. Those are the things that we know people want and that’s what we plan to deliver.”
c. Nick Harrison Photographer via Cllr Sharmina August
While the Market Hall is knocked down, the council have confirmed that support for market traders will be on offer, such as relocation to other market stall units, or compensation.
Despite reports of concerns amongst market traders, Cllr August said: “So far, everyone’s happy with how things are going so I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to assure people that they are important to Eccles, and as we say, nobody will be losing their livelihood because of this, because they are an integral part of our of our town.”
Continuing Eccles’s legacy as a market town is just one aspect of safeguarding its heritage, with the council keen to preserve the facades of the many historic buildings within the town.
“There’s more to heritage than just the building; we do think about the culture in Eccles as well,” Cllr August added.
“We think about all the things that make Eccles a town other than the buildings, and we do have a culture team looking at that as well, to see what we can do to maintain the feeling in Eccles, because when you change a place dramatically in terms of what it looks like, some things will be the same, but we want to make sure that it still feels like Eccles as well.”
This is a once in a generation opportunity. We don’t get the chance to totally redevelop town centres very often.
Councillor Sharmina August
Housing is also included within the plans for the regeneration, with the goal being to bring more people into the town to support its businesses and help the centre flourish.
Eccles sits in Zone 2 of Greater Manchester and benefits from excellent transport links to the city centre and surrounding areas, including a bus station, tram stop, and train station.
It’s connectivity not only makes it an ideal location for commuters to reside, but also makes Eccles a sustainable town going into an increasingly climate-conscious future.
As well as transporting residents and commuters out of Eccles, it’s existing travel infrastructure can bring people in, which the council hope to encourage through Eccles’s redevelopment.
“I think we if we want to have a successful Town Centre, we need to be able to attract people to it, and that’s working out what would make Eccles a little bit different,” Cllr August explained.
“We will, when we go out to consultation, be asking people more of those sorts of questions, like ‘what is it that you think will work?’
“We’ll also be looking at other places that have been really successful as to why they’re successful, and that is going to be things like eateries, leisure facilities, but also the market, and we’re hoping also the culture that we can bring in as well.”
With the project is on the cusp of its commencement, Cllr August, who was initially elected in 2019, pointed out that updating the declining town centre has been a primary concern for a number of years.
Speaking for her fellow councillors Mike McCusker and Nathaniel Tetteh, elected in 2018 and 2021 respectively, she said: “We’ve always stood up for Eccles Town Centre needing regeneration, it’s our number one priority.
“It’s something that everybody on every doorstep that has ever told us, that they need regeneration for Eccles Town Centre, so it’s our priority.”
Now, focus is turning to securing a development partner, with Cllr August hoping that this will be confirmed within the next few months.
From there, the council will continue to work with locals through ongoing consultations, in the hopes that they can bring the public’s visions and desires for Eccles Town Centre to fruition.
Monton Matters 