Understand
Burslem indoor market receives £1m in government heritage funding
Overview
The Grade II listed Burslem indoor market in Stoke-on-Trent, closed since 2003, is set to receive £1m as part of a £41m government heritage funding allocation for English historic sites. Local residents and business owners have welcomed the investment, hoping it will help regenerate the high street and attract more visitors.
Key points
- The 19th-century Burslem indoor market has been shut since 2003 due to safety issues caused by falling masonry.
- The market is allocated £1m from a broader £41m government heritage funding package for 74 sites in England.
- Earlier in the year, a separate £1m grant was pulled over material costs and delay concerns, replaced instead by a development grant of up to £200,000 for planning and feasibility work.
- Local residents and traders have expressed optimism that the funding and eventual reopening of the market will bring shoppers back to the town.
- The funding is part of wider government schemes aimed at repairing and conserving at-risk historic buildings across communities.