The demolition of 66,000 sq ft of space in Eccles Shopping Centre is expected to commence this September.
The demolition contractor, Connell Brothers, has been awarded £578,000 to take down the northern section of the shopping centre, which Salford City Council purchased from the former owners Columbia Threadneedle for £4.15 million in December 2022.
The council stated the ‘strategic acquisition’ of the centre secured an ‘opportunity to transform Eccles’ and drive future regeneration.
Work is due to start this September to demolish 14 retail units on Northway Market and the multi-storey car park.
The demolition process is expected to take up to 32 weeks to complete. However, a period of 12 months will be allowed for any delays or unforeseen issues.
The contract start date will commence from August 5 2024 and if everything goes to plan it will conclude on July 4 2025.
A number of pre-demolition works have been undertaken including a number of surveys; party wall, drainage, ecology and bat surveys.
A document from the council stated that ‘the majority of the properties are now vacant’ and officers continue to engage with the market traders regarding the forthcoming closure of the Northway Market Hall.
It’s fair to say the news of the demolition upset many market stall holders last year.
Janet Newton, owner of Kiss N Make Up, said: “I’m devastated, it’s my livelihood, we’ve had no feedback or contact and just been dumped on. It will kill me, that’s 12 of us that have no job, no incomes, I could be homeless as I rent my house, and this pays for that.
“Eccles is a tight knit community, and the market is the heart of this.”
Another stall holder, Yvonne Thompson, felt more optimistic about the future of her business.
She said: “It’s got to be done because, especially Eccles, it needs to be brought into the 21st century, it was built in the 60s so we just need new things.
“My business shouldn’t be affected that much because there’s only me that does what I do in Eccles Market so moving from here to a new location might be better for me because they’ll be more people coming through the alley.”
The council aims to transform the centre into a vibrant mixed-use area that includes retail, residential, and leisure spaces.
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