Cheshire East Council is reviewing who should run the markets in Congleton, Crewe, Macclesfield and Wilmslow. The options include bringing in new operators or transferring control to town or parish councils, but no operator has been selected and no transfer has been announced, according to a BBC report published 10 October 2026.
What the council is considering
The BBC reports that Cheshire East’s cabinet backed a review of operating options for the four markets. The council says the markets run at a financial loss, that it does not have the resources to maximise their potential, and that changed arrangements could reduce its exposure to financial risk. The report gives no loss figures, accounting period or breakdown by site, so it does not establish how much any market costs the council or whether losses are similar across the four.
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Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet member for planning, housing and regeneration, said: “The council recognises it doesn’t have the resources to maximise the potential of the markets”. That is the council’s stated rationale, not a published appraisal showing which alternative would work best.
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| Market | What is reported |
|---|---|
| Congleton | Indoor and outdoor markets operate twice a week. |
| Crewe | The market hall is historic and has been refurbished. Cheshire East Council’s market information page identifies Market Asset Management Ltd as the operator of Crewe markets; the available reporting does not say whether that company is being considered for another site. |
| Macclesfield | The town has an indoor market. Macclesfield Market Hall officially reopened after refurbishment on 24 February 2026. |
| Wilmslow | The market is described in the report as a single stall. |
These differences matter: a twice-weekly indoor and outdoor market, a refurbished hall and a single stall may call for different operating arrangements. The report does not publish a site-by-site proposal or explain whether the same model is being considered for all four.
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What could change for traders and shoppers
Possible arrangements include continued council operation, a new external operator, or control by a town or parish council. Each could affect who makes day-to-day decisions, who is accountable to traders and visitors, who can invest in the site, and how financial risk is shared. But the sources do not provide a formal options appraisal or comparative results, so there is no evidence yet that one model would deliver lower costs, better trading conditions or more visitors.
Some Cheshire East markets, including those in Knutsford, Nantwich and Sandbach, are already run by town councils. Crewe provides an example of a third-party operator. Those arrangements show that different models exist locally; they do not prove that either will be adopted elsewhere or perform better.
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Traders quoted by the BBC described markets as accessible places to trade and as a source of shared footfall and community. Bean and Cole owner Ian McArdle said the market let the business reach many people with more footfall and seating than it could afford in a shop. RetroFits co-owner Nicola Ashbrook said: “We couldn’t afford a high street store”. The Style Hut owner Clare Forster said the market helped her business grow and brought local customers through the activity of nearby businesses. These are individual experiences, not a representative survey of traders.
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Recent investment is not a decision on the operator model
Cheshire East Council says Macclesfield Market Hall reopened after a major refurbishment on 24 February 2026, supported by £2.4 million in UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant funding. The council described new trading units and an improved space for daily trading and events. The investment is relevant context for Macclesfield, but it does not establish which operating arrangement the council will choose.
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Separately, Cheshire West and Chester Council opened a new market in Northwich. The BBC reported a cost of £1.8 million and more than 50,000 visits since its September opening, attributing the visit figure to Cheshire West councillor Nathan Pardoe. That is a reported figure, not an independently verified attendance count here, and the Northwich project is not part of Cheshire East’s review. Pardoe said markets can bring people back to town centres and attract demand to high streets.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What has—and has not—been decided
The report describes an options review backed by the cabinet, not a completed change. It does not provide the underlying council report, full meeting minutes, a timetable, procurement terms or a separate decision for each market. There is no announced operator selection or transfer of control. The practical next step for traders and residents is to look for a later Cheshire East announcement or council record setting out the preferred option and how it would apply at each site.
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Sources
- BBC report by Kaleigh Watterson, published via Yahoo News on 10 October 2026
- Cheshire East Council: Markets in Cheshire East
- Cheshire East Council: Macclesfield Market Hall opens after major refurbishment, 24 February 2026
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