YORK’S market has taken up temporary residence in its historical city-centre location as £1.5 million refurbishment work gets under way in Newgate.

Stallholders are now trading from Parliament Street, marking a return to the street where the market regularly operated 50 years ago.

The move back to Parliament Street is to make way for City of York Council’s refurbishment of Newgate Market, which aims to improve infrastructure such as drainage and storage, with a better roof covering and lighting as well as improved signage, promotion and information about the market.

Andrew Kenny, of Fishmonger Cross of York, which has been trading in Newgate Market since 1956, said: “The council has been very supportive in the move. I think they have had a very hard job and they have tried hard to meet everyone’s needs.

“It’s a whole new retail experience for us out here, especially for people who have been established in a certain position in Newgate for a lot of years.”

Work is expected to take 16 weeks to complete, in time for the St Nicholas Fayre in late November.

Access through the market will be from the King’s Square end of Shambles and Newgate, while the snickelways from Shambles will be closed for the 16-week period.

Councillor Sonja Crisp, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “The move has been pretty smooth with only a couple of hiccoughs that are usual for this scale of project. The traders have been very co-operative. The market is now trading from a mix of stalls including gazebos and refrigerated kiosks, still offering the best spot in York to buy locally-sourced produce and everyday goods daily from 9am to 5pm on Parliament Street.

"All businesses around Newgate are open and trading.”