'Slow decline' at outdoor markets yet traders unconvinced by plans

With St Helens Council aiming to address the perceived decline of the town centre, a new modern market hall is a major part of its £90m regeneration plans.

The council also plans to construct new offices, homes, a hotel and retail space in St Helens town centre, and previously explained that a new "high quality public realm" will create a "better trading environment" both for outdoor and indoor traders.

However, it is not yet clear which traders will take up space in the new modern market hall, and many outdoor traders seem unconvinced by the council's plans, particularly because they believe an inherent part of being a trader is having the flexibility to move around to other markets areas.

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Danny said that he has witnessed a slow decline over six years (Image: St Helens Star)
With traders pitching up around Church Square on Tuesdays and Thursdays, one of the most popular outdoor traders is Danny Bracken, a friendly butcher from Kirkby.

After six years of trading in St Helens, Danny said that he feels "well established" in the town centre, and is confident that his high-quality meats at reasonable prices are what encourages his "really good regulars" to return.

However, the butcher admitted that there has "definitely been a slow decline" since he pitched up in St Helens, and suggested that this has been a knock-on effect from the rise of retail parks and big-name brands such as Argos and M&S leaving the town centre.

Although Danny said that the CGI plans of a transformed St Helens look "spectacular", he is not convinced that it will bring enough young people into the town centre to sustain the market tradition.

Todd Hodgkinson at his Mystical Melts stall (Image: St Helens Star)
Selling a mix of bath and shower products made predominantly by his wife, Todd Hodgkinson has been a trader in Church Square for the past decade.

With a long market history in St Helens, Todd said that his customers at Mystical Melts are "very loyal" and that his business has been "pretty consistent" over the past few years.

However, the trader also said that there has been a steady decline since he first pitched, adding that business for outdoor traders is "very weather dependent". 

Todd also said that the lack of free parking in St Helens is something that he feels discourages people from nipping into the town centre and using market stalls like his.

When the regeneration plans start to come to fruition, Todd feels that outdoor traders will initially benefit when the bus station temporarily moves to Chalon Way West.

However, once the modern market hall is constructed, which is set to offer 28 spaces for retail, food, and traditional stalls, Todd said that he would not want to be stuck to a permanent stall as it is tradition for outdoor traders to move to other areas.

Todd, from Leigh, said that if there is no room for outdoor traders in a regenerated town centre, he would have to look elsewhere to set up his stall.

Market trade has declined for Church Square's outdoor stalls (Image: St Helens Star)
If all goes to plan, the council's regeneration proposals will encourage more people into the town centre and attract trade towards the market hall and outdoor traders alike.

However, other outdoor traders were even more apprehensive than Danny and Todd, saying that they struggle to see the glory days of the traditional market returning.

John Heaton, from Liverpool, has been pitching up his clothes stall in St Helens for the past year and has been a market trader for more than 45 years.

"It's the same everywhere, it's difficult at every market we go to because people just aren't using the markets like they used to", John said.

"I've had to cut my stock down over the years and even then it's difficult to pay my staff's wages because of the lack of trade.

"Most of the people in the town centre are coming for a specific thing, or are just passing through, so I don't think a new market hall will suddenly make people start coming to the town centre just for the market.

"I don't know how it will affect the outdoor traders either, because we don't want to be chained to a permanent stall."

Market traders pitch up every Tuesday and Thursday in the town centre (Image: St Helens Star)
After eight years in St Helens, Gary Taylor from Fairy House Estates had similar thoughts to the other outdoor traders, and feels that businesses emptying the Hardshaw Centre has had a significant knock-on effect on trade.

Gary, who works on the accessory stall with his mum Margaret, said that trade was much busier when the family first pitched up, and was also particularly busy during the pandemic when more people were staying and shopping local.

Although trade has declined in recent years, Gary was also apprehensive about the council's regeneration plans, suggesting that he feels a new market hall will not be enough to turn around the traditional market trade.

He gave Southport as an example where a new market hall was built and the traditional traders did not want to return.  

A new modern market hall is planned to have space for 28 traders (Image: St Helens Council)
In a previous statement about the markets, a spokesperson for St Helens Council said: “The council is bringing forward major regeneration plans for the borough which will transform St Helens town centre through new offices, commercial, new indoor market, hotel and housing.

"This is aimed at increasing footfall to support both town centre businesses and market traders. 

"These plans include a high-quality public realm which will create a better trading environment for outdoor market traders and will complement the stallholders in the new indoor market.

"Design work for a new indoor market hall is currently ongoing and there will be further liaison with market traders as these proposals are developed. 

"The council has also been providing support to existing independent town centre businesses through a business advocates scheme and a Shop Local campaign. 

"We would also be happy to work with traders to promote local markets further."