News / St Nick's Market
St Nick’s Market faces £5.5m repair bill
The long-term future of St Nick’s Market is in doubt because it needs £5.5m of ‘critical’ repairs, councillors have been warned.
The local authority cannot foot the bill on its own and needs help from outside bodies.
Councillors agreed to commit just one-tenth of the total – £550,000 – over the next four years at the annual budget meeting on February 12.
is needed now More than ever
But on Monday, the economy & skills committee heard this left a massive shortfall and that funding would have to be sought from organisations including WECA and the National Lottery.
Money could also come from Historic England if it placed the indoor market on its ‘at-risk’ register.
The 2026 council budget covers just one tenth of the total needed to carry out repairs – photo: Martin Booth
An update was given to the committee following its decision in September to reject a huge hike in traders’ rent amid warnings many could go bust.
The council has since hired consultants to begin to develop a ‘vision’ for the market and the wider Corn Exchange, including bringing the mostly empty upper floors of the building back into use.
But other measures to try to increase income in the meantime had seen mixed results, councillors were told.
A report to the committee said the evening street food market trial, Corn Street Fleet, was abandoned because “traders felt unsafe and had multiple instances of aggressive begging”.
It said: “We feel there is a demand for evening trade, but this needs to be better resourced and security potentially needs to be provided.”
The report said that while income increased by 30 per cent at the newly expanded outdoor Christmas market, with ten new festive chalets on Corn Street alongside the traditional pitches, “sales varied widely, with many reporting flat or reduced takings”.
There were also increased reports of antisocial behaviour and thefts, with stallholders calling for security presence, better lighting and CCTV, it added.
Easton Chilli was among the stalls on Corn Street in the run-up to Christmas 2025 – photo: Martin Booth
The report said: “A building condition survey commissioned by the council has identified around £5.5million of works that need to be carried out over the next ten years to get the asset to a good state of repair.”
It said the £550,000 approved at full council on February 12 would be focused on ‘urgent health and safety issues and on building and facility upgrades to improve experiences for traders and the public’.
“To help the market grow and expand, funding will also be used to renovate the floor space above the market,” said the report.
“It’s felt that part of the upper floors could be brought back into use as workspace for a temporary period while medium/long-term plans are agreed.
“This should be part of a future vision for the asset.”
Developer contributions have been identified to upgrade the paving on Exchange Avenue and All Saints Lane.
But previous plans to create an accessible toilet and baby change room in the Glass Arcade and install a goods lift so large equipment can be stored in the basement were paused because the quotes ‘significantly exceeded’ the council’s expectations, although funding will now be sought this year.
The report said St Nicholas Market’s income target of £746,000 for 2025/26 faced a £72,000 shortfall.
It said trader fees would go up by 3.4 per cent in line with inflation in April.
Committee chairman Andrew Brown, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hengrove and Whitchurch Park, told the meeting: “We all want to see the market thrive and survive and continue to be a key part of the fabric of the city.
“But we also need to make sure it works for traders, residents and the council alike and we need to make sure we are getting that balance as part of the vision work and any future decision on fees and charges.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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