Birmingham Market’s long-awaited relocation to a new purpose-built site has faced another setback only weeks from the proposed date of completion.
The new market has yet to be installed with a water sprinkling system, which is linked to the site’s fire safety and is mandatory before the market can begin trading. According to Mark Tate, chair of the tenants’ association, the council had passed responsibility for the sprinkler system onto an external management company, but the project has not been completed. Birmingham City Council had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.
The tenants are considering taking the council to court, Tate said, as they had been promised a market that is fit for purpose. “The tenants won’t sign the lease until the sprinkler system is in place, as they won’t be able to trade. The market is supposed to be built as fit for purpose, but at the moment it’s not,” he said.
Due for completion by mid-October, the relocation project and negotiations have been ongoing for five years. The new site is due to be fully let, Tate said, as some tenants at the original site took the opportunity to retire.
Aside from the delay, Tate said the new site looks “magnificent”. “I think once we’re in we will be very busy, as the regional markets continue to get smaller. Once we get everything in place, it will be a fantastic new market.”
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