Town Hall officials at Darlington Borough Council said the new-look local landmark has once again become a key community hub for businesses and visitors.
Market Asset Management (MAM), the current firm running the site, was tasked with improving the building in 2017 when the then Labour-led council relinquished responsibility.
A council report ahead of next week’s Economy and Resources Scrutiny Committee reads: “Darlington’s Victorian Indoor Market plays an important anchor for the town centre going forward.
“In terms of a unique proposition the market acts as an attractor for many people to come to the town and the street food hall, installed in 2021, has proven a popular venue for many residents and visitors.”
The redevelopment of the site has taken place in several phases. The first phase of development included the construction of six street food stalls, new toilets, enhanced entrance areas, a new bar facility, and repairs to the market roof.
Phase two of the redevelopment commenced in August 2022 and included additional new toilets, improvements to the entrance area and the traditional trading area, general enhancement of the market, and a new bar facility in the vaults area of the market.
New stalls were installed within the traditional trading area of the market building in 2023 and 2024 to reposition the retail offer to attract a younger and wider demographic.
As well as the well-established David Jackson Butchers and JJ Blair & Sons fruit and vegetable stall, new traders include:
- Natural
- Beaded Treasures
- Haus Of Moss
- Bodega Delizia
- Gina’s Gems
- Marketplace Fish & Chips
- Out The Box (a retail outlet for local producers)
- The Alley – Pop up units and that have been used by 6 different businesses so far who are returning weekly to trade
- The Urban Deli
- Viking Coffee
The council added: “The Indoor Market building has transformed itself [into] a real community hub, used by various groups from running clubs to private sector organisations using the market as a venue for corporate meetings.”
Several food festivals and, more recently, Christmas events have been held.
Despite the reported progress several traditional traders, some operating within the market for decades, have closed and left. Yet, (MAM) also reported a “significant growth” with the outside market, with its income up by 116 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023.
The Darlington Labour Party revealed it will bring the town’s flagship market back under council control while campaigning ahead of the local elections in May 2023.
However, local Conservatives continue to criticise the party’s inactivity and question whether it will ever happen. Former Council Leader Jonathan Dulston previously said he feared the pledge was “nothing more than a sound bite with absolutely no substance”.
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He said the former Conservative-led council even tried to buy back the market from MAM but was unable to because of the “really poor lease agreement that was signed off by Labour”.
But Councillor Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, said acquiring the site is not straightforward “We indicated a desire to take back control but there is a complexity to this, not least because the last administration did nothing,” he previously said.
“We have been exploring options as to how we can affect this and will be coming back in due course. Our ultimate commitment is to have a vibrant market operating at the heart of our town centre.”