Work to restore and refurbish Goole’s historic Market Hall is officially underway

William Birch & Sons Ltd, the contractor appointed to carry out the refurbishment work, arrived on site last week and, over the coming months, will make the venue more energy efficient by replacing the roof and glazing, as well as making structural repairs and installing improved heating; a new, start-of-the-art sound system; new flooring; a new fire alarm; new electrics; and new toilet facilities.

This will be followed by a second phase of work that will see the interior of the Market Hall fitted out in preparation for it becoming a food, drink and events venue. The Market Yard to the rear of the building will also be transformed as part of the project. It’s anticipated that the venue will open for business before Christmas 2025.

The Goole Town Deal Board is investing £4 million of Government funding into the Market Hall and sees it as an important ‘anchor’ destination that will significantly increase footfall and spending in the town centre.  

Chair of the Goole Town Deal Board, Phil Jones, said: “We’re delighted that work on the Market Hall is now underway. We chose to allocate funding to this exciting project to safeguard the future of one of Goole’s most historic and best known landmarks, but also because it has enormous potential to benefit other town centre businesses and boost the local economy by bringing more people into Goole. We believe that the new-look Market Hall will become a central part of what we consider to be Goole’s cultural quarter, in close collaboration with Junction Goole and Goole Museum, which are both nearby.”

Last summer, the Goole Town Deal Board announced that, following a formal tendering process, Brew York, a brewery operating tap rooms and bars at venues in York, Leeds, Otley, Pocklington, Guiseley and Knaresborough, had submitted a successful bid to bring its hugely popular combination of craft beer and street food to Goole. In addition to the food and drink offering from Brew York, the refurbished Market Hall will also offer flexible space for local creative and craft businesses and to host events of both a commercial and community nature to generate an income.

Planning permission for the refurbishment project was granted in 2024, and work on site is due to be completed later this year.

• To keep up to date with progress on the Market Hall project, as well as the other seven Goole Town Deal funded projects, visit www.gooletowndeal.co.uk. You can also follow Goole Town Deal on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.