Knutsford Town Council has confirmed that its second programme of investment at Knutsford Market Hall has recently been completed.
The latest phase involved an upgrade to the main roof of the market hall, following a major renovation undertaken within the building earlier in the year.
The roof works comprised:
- a layer of insulation to help retain heat during the winter and reduce heat gain during the summer
- replacement of old single glazed skylights with new double-glazed tinted glazing units which will let more light in whilst blocking some of the sun’s heat during the summer
- renewed roof covering with a new flat roof system to provide longevity
- replacement of old single glazed upper front windows with new, openable double-glazed units
- installation of new solar panel system with battery storage to reduce grid electricity consumption
The £90k investment was funded by a grant from central government.
“These works have delivered a major upgrade to the sustainability of the matket hall, helping us retain heat in the winter, reduce heat gain in the summer and generate some of the electricity that the building needs – even in October we’ve been able to generate around 10% of our daily electricity usage” said town clerk Adam Keppel-Green.
The Market Hall is home to eight fixed traders which include a bakery, an organic greengrocer, a butcher, and a vinyl record store.
The market can also accommodate pop-up traders and can be hired as a community space (out of hours) for events such as children’s birthday parties, discos, community meetings and fundraising events.
Mr Keppel-Green added that it was acknowledged the market building had been too hot over the summer, and said the council was now considering installing air conditioning and additional ventilation to ensure the issues do not reoccur in future.
