Bridgend Market reopens in temporary location after concrete closure

As Christmas approaches, Bridgend Market traders are opening new stores in various parts of the city. The temporary closure of the city center building follows the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) on the roof of the building in September.

This led to the immediate closure of the building to protect public safety, after inspectors called an emergency cabinet meeting following the discovery, with further assessment before it could be reopened.

The move left the market’s 17 vendors with just a few hours to pack up their wares and leave, with no guarantee of what the future holds for their businesses. For the latest Bridgend news, sign up to our newsletter here.

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Although there is still no updated information on when the market will reopen, in what has been described as a “difficult” situation, some traders have begun opening stores elsewhere in Bridgend to welcome shoppers over the Christmas period.

However, as traders move forward, some question whether the market will ever reopen in the same form as before. Eileen Schofield has been in business since 2006 with her stall selling kitchen utensils and craft materials. Having recently opened the former Rhiw Shopping Center Officers’ Club, along with eight other stalls, he said he was happy to be back in business.

She said: “We’re really happy with where the council has put us and they’ve done a good job of making the stables nice and clean and shiny, so I think most of us are really happy here. I don’t know if we’ll end up going back to the old place because we’re really happy here, to be honest, and considering how long it took to get everything out of the old market and into this new facility, it’s been a nightmare.

“It’s going to take a long time and the problem is that some stall owners have gone into the shops and probably won’t want to go back there, so if there are fewer people who want to go back there, I won’t do it.” “I don’t know what the City Council is going to do.”

Chris Pritchard, 40, runs the American cafe in the new location and said that after a tumultuous few months, he was also unsure whether they would return to business. He said: “I was on the market for about 15 months before we moved. It was an absolute nightmare because we knew nothing about it before it happened.

“The safety inspector came one Wednesday at 2pm and said there was bad news that we were going to close, so we literally had an hour to pack up and leave. I had basically been unemployed for nine weeks and it was difficult to continue. Luckily we had pop-ups at Rhiw every Friday and Saturday so we were able to carry on for a bit, but it was stressful.

“However, I think they did really well here. It looks cool, everything is new, fresh and looks complete, so I think they did a good job. My personal opinion is that too many people have left the market; for example, butchers and tailors have left and opened their own shops in the city, so the chances of them returning once they open are zero.”

Anne Binding, owner of Bridgend Bakestones, said that after opening her own store on Market Street last month, she hoped her business would continue to thrive with the new freedom to open outside market hours.

She said: “It was important we opened before Christmas because we couldn’t waste any more time and I knew I wanted to stay here in Bridgend. I’ve been here for about 14 years and I feel good. created, so I left and found a new place for myself.”

Speaking at the council’s monthly meeting, Bridgend Council leader Hugh David said: “Stall owners at Bridgend Indoor Market have started moving into their new temporary accommodation at Rhiw Shopping Center ahead of the Christmas shopping season. Some traders have decided to buy their own alternative premises in the city center and others have reopened their doors.”

He added: “Getting to this point was neither easy nor simple, as we said before, it involved addressing some difficult issues and staying within what we can legally do with public money.”

Councilor Rhys Hood, cabinet member for housing, planning and regeneration, added: “What’s really important to me is to say to everyone in the area, if you can, go there to help them, because unfortunately they are lost. “After a few weeks of trading, it’s great to see them open again.”