45 New Tenants Move in to Brighton Open Market
On June 17th, 45 of Brighton’s newest entrepreneurs received the keys to their new spaces in Brighton’s historic Open Market. With a strong focus on local producers and ethical products, these traders will bring a wide selection of produce and freshly prepared foods to the site, as well as an exceptional variety of arts, crafts, fashions, services, garden goods and more. The vision for the new Open Market is to have at its heart fresh, nutritious, local and quality food to reflect current concerns over health and environmental sustainability. The inviting and varied mix of stalls selling these products will please long standing and loyal customers while attracting a new audience that will help secure the market’s future success.
Councillor Ian Davey, deputy leader and chair of the Open Market Community Interest Company (CIC), said: After years of hard work I am delighted that this new dawn for the historic and much loved Brighton Open Market is here at last. I would like to thank the community for their patience while the work has been underway. The new development will provide new affordable homes, space for traders and workshops for small businesses as well as being an exciting place to visit. Traditional markets have been lost in some places so it is fantastic that we have been able not only to keep the Open Market, but improve it for the 21st century.
A Community Collaboration
In 2006, a group of Open Market stall-holders approached Brighton and Hove City Council about the possibility of redeveloping their much-loved Open Market. The council saw the potential in their idea and encouraged the project partners to devise a regeneration scheme to provide a new market, arts/crafts workshops and affordable housing. This lead to the council supporting the redevelopment scheme and the formation of the Brighton Open Market Community Interest Company (CIC) by the market traders, the council, The Hyde Group and Ethical Property Company. The Hyde Group has been the developer for the scheme and has been responsible for building the market, workshops and affordable housing.
For more information on the market, and for information on background to the project, please visit www.brightonopenmarket.co.uk or contact Lisa Lepki at lisa@ethicalproperty.co.uk
