Work has started this week on the new Kirkby Indoor Market, located in three former retail units on the pedestrian area of Lowmoor Road and set to offer an open plan indoor trading area for seven market stalls and a café.

Funded through the Towns Fund Accelerated Programme, the indoor market will focus on food and creative traders and there will be outdoor seating for the café.

Martin Rigley, chair of Discover Ashfield Board, said: “The new indoor market will bring a range of new businesses to Kirkby town centre which, along with the current traders, will provide a fantastic range of products and services for shoppers. The market will provide an opportunity for traders who are looking to start their business, or established traders looking to expand in a friendly, distinctive space.”

The works will take around three months to complete.

The market is the first of many projects planned to be delivered through the government’s Town Fund. A bid of £62m was submitted to Government earlier in the year, which includes plans to create thriving and revitalised town centres, with a wide range of services and retail offer, a vibrant night-time economy and enhanced leisure offer. An announcement on the bid is due later in May.

This is alongside the £6.27m secured for Sutton town centre from the government’s Future High Streets competition.

Martin added: “More than ever our town centres need investment and we have some really exciting plans for Kirkby and Sutton. We’re looking forward to starting to make these plans a reality so that we have lively, thriving town centres now that restrictions are starting to lift. We are also working hard to identify funding sources to support further investment in Hucknall town centre, which wasn’t one of the towns selected by the government to receive the Towns Fund.”

If you have a business that could be a part of the new Kirkby indoor market, email [email protected] or call on 01623 551385.