MARKET traders are back in their permanent home in the centre of the city, after an eight month long £1.6 million refurbishment.

The stalls moved back into the Shambles Market, previously called Newgate Market, for the first day of trading yesterday and began to welcome shoppers back in to the market place.

Steve Shooter, the City of York's interim city centre and markets manager: "We are delighted to be back in our newly refurbished Shambles Market.

"'I'd like to thank traders for their continued patience".

He said the market was already a "much less gloomy place" after the work, which had included a lot unseen but vital improvements to things like drainage and re-roofing for the stalls as well as new lighting, repairs and new paving.

He also said the spruced-up market had not seen any rents increased, and would be home to a new "food court" area where both locals and visitors would be able to stop to eat.

The traders moved out of the market in July last year, and were due to be back in their permanent home in time for the St Nicholas Fayre in November but delays meant that work was not finally completed until this month.

The traders moved back into the Shambles market place over Christmas while the St Nicholas Fayre went on, but shifted out again in January to let workmen back in for the final stages of the project.

New market rules were published by the council earlier this month and mean that all specialist markets like the Farmers Market will also use the Shambles Market, with only the St Nicholas Fayre permitted in An official reopening for the market will take place on Wednesday, with council cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism Sonja Crisp cutting the ribbon on the redeveloped site.

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