A new £7 million food hub to house Liverpool’s fruit, vegetable and flower market is set to be built in Gillmoss on the outskirts of the city.
The new 80,000 square foot wholesale market will replace the existing site on Edge Lane in the Old Swan area of the city.
As well as fruit and veg suppliers, there is potential for meat and fish traders to transfer to the new location in a further phase of the development.
It is the latest phase of a significant investment programme in Liverpool, which has already seen the reopening of the new Great Homer Street market, while the revamped St Johns Market will open on 14 November following a £2.5 million revamp.
Cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This is a really exciting scheme which I know traders are delighted with.
“The existing market is in a really poor condition and the number of traders has been dwindling for a very long time, so we have been working hard to identify a new site which will put it on a solid footing and enable it to expand in the future.
“This is all part of our wider aim of driving up the standard and quality of Liverpool’s markets now we’ve taken back control of them.”
Around 10 acres of the fruit, vegetable and flower market’s existing site is set to be redeveloped as a new home for a Merseyside Police patrol hub, while also providing space for the Force’s vehicle repair facility, currently based at Smithdown Lane.
Subject to planning approval, construction of the new market could start by the end of the year and open in September 2017.
The cost of borrowing for the build will be paid for through rental income from the relocated market traders.
