Enabling Chester Market to open an hour later on Friday evenings is under serious consideration according to council bosses.

The market has become a ‘cool’ place to hang out at the start of the weekend when some stalls currently stay open until 8pm for what has been dubbed ‘Foodie Friday’.

Rob Monaghan, market development manager at Cheshire West and Chester Council , confirmed: “We are looking to extend until 9pm now on a Friday.”

On Saturday the market is currently open until 5pm but this could also be extended by an hour until 6pm in a longer term plan.

Market development manager Rob Monaghan

Mr Monaghan added: “We are thinking about Saturday. We might have an extra hour on a Saturday. One of the issues with Saturday; there is a certain type of clientele. What we are looking at is very much a family-type environment so you can finish work, meet with the family and have something to eat.”

He said it was about ‘small steps’ and ‘a balanced approach’.

“The last thing we want is to do is be in a situation where we open late hours and the footfall isn’t there and the market starts to go backwards again.”

There are extra costs involved with keeping The Forum open such as security, cleaning and having a manager on duty but some stallholders who would benefit may be prepared to contribute.     

“That’s the conversation we need to have,” commented Mr Monaghan.

Chester Market

The market has come a long way since the Princess Street bus exchange closed down with fears around whether it might not even survive.

“It’s a great thing to have, from a situation where a year ago people were saying Chester Market was rubbish. A lot of it is down to the food but it’s also the services we provide in there,” added the market development manager.

Helen Rutherford-Gregory, founder of the SisterHub networking group for women in business, recently started a petition calling for later openings at the market, which has attracted more than 580 names.

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