A university expert has urged city bosses in Newcastle not to forget the Grainger Market’s “huge” importance to poorer families and the elderly.
Dr Sara González issued a plea for the historic market’s traditional traders and customers not to be pushed out, under plans to try and breathe new life into the centre. The associate professor at Leeds University said she had been “quite saddened” after a Newcastle City Council report last week labelled the Grainger Market a “resource draining asset”, which is currently costing the local authority £300,000 a year to keep open.
A new initiative has since been announced to have monthly food and entertainment nights at the city centre institution in order to attract more visitors, something which could become a more regular feature if it proves popular with businesses and customers. But Dr González has cautioned against reimagining the market as a street food and leisure destination.
