As part of the council's Civic Quarter project to enhance Cambridge's Guildhall, Corn Exchange, Market Square and public spaces in between, the council is proposing to build on the vision for the Market Square that was agreed in March 2022.

This vision is for a bustling seven-day market which is an accessible, attractive, welcoming, exciting and safe place to visit, shop and gather during the day and into the evening. 

The proposals for the Market Square have been continuously evolving, incorporating feedback from both public engagement programmes, as well as market traders, market experts, heritage officers and the police.

The latest updates are being shared with traders this week. The current proposals now include:

• 96 stalls in total, a further increase from the initial proposal of 91, and then 94 more recently – with a commitment that all current traders would be able to return
• 44 permanent stalls; a further increase from the initial proposal of 27, and then 36 more recently – meaning traders who trade most often will benefit from new lockable stalls
• 52 demountable stalls. Following a trial of one demountable stall product during the summer, during which traders expressed concerns about assembly time, the impact of hot/adverse weather on performance and comfort of the stalls, and fixing the stalls into the ground, a second trial will take place in the autumn
• The proposal for covered seating now features parasols around the fountain, along with trees providing shelter. Previously the proposal was for a small, fixed canopy which would be lockable out of hours. The proposals respond to feedback about antisocial behaviour in covered areas not being caught on CCTV 
• A support package for traders during works on the Market Square, including offering traders a 50% discount on their rent for the duration of construction (based on stall size prior to works commencing), and a commitment to providing a comparable sized stall to trade from at another site during the works. The temporary site is still to be confirmed, but the current proposal is to provide stalls on high footfall streets surrounding the Market Square such as King’s Parade, Sidney Street and Peas Hill.

The following elements of the proposals (previously published) remain current:

• a commitment to maintaining traders’ pitch fees at the pre-decant level for the first 12 months following the redevelopment of the market
• retaining and refurbishing the existing fountain on the market, with the aspiration of making it fully functioning in the long-term
• confirmation that toilets for traders will be renovated and remain situated in the market square basement to support traders, and that new underground bin facilities will be provided to significantly improve waste storage and collection processes.

The demountable stalls can contract or expand in accordance with demand from traders, meaning that this part of the Market Square would be available for additional trading during busier days and months, or to provide flexible space for occasional events.

Cllr Rosy Moore, Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Environment, said: "Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to feedback on our plans for the Market Square as we work to develop proposals to make the market an even more welcoming and bustling destination for local people and visitors to our city. 

“We remain committed to supporting the thriving seven-day market on the Market Square, with the same square meterage of stalls as there is currently. Our plans have been continually adapting in line with traders' feedback, including the latest increases in the number of permanent stalls being proposed, alongside responding to feedback from the public in support of creating a more flexible space to allow events on the square, similar to other markets across the UK and Europe which also use demountable stalls.

“Anyone who has visited the market will have seen that the floor desperately needs relaying, as well as the need for new underground bins, electrics and lighting. The recent public engagement programme also showed support for a new covered seating area with a wide range of seating styles, more pedestrianisation in and around the square to improve accessibility, improved cleanliness, and more greenery. We are proposing to provide all of this. The pavement, road and setts on and around the market currently prevent people from accessing the market if they are wheelchair or pushchair users; we're planning to resurface the whole area to make it much more accessible, while preserving the Victorian granite setts. We will also be planting to make the area more biodiverse and provide natural shade in the square.

“We hear regularly from traders, the wider community and the police that late night antisocial behaviour in the market square is a concern, and that having stalls standing vacant contributes to this as it enables antisocial behaviour to take place hidden from CCTV cameras and natural observation. The ability to put away the demountable stalls overnight will help to address this concern for the community too.

"We're continuing to listen to feedback and are working to address any trades' concerns and incorporate new ideas into the plans, and we still have plenty of time after a planning application is submitted to finalise the detail of permanent and demountable stalls on the market. We want all of our traders to book in for a 1-2-1 with us so that we can get into the detail of each trader's requirements, and will continue to work with traders and markets experts to get the detail right."