Comment by WLD editor John Baron
Back in 2017, WLD ran an article under the headline How do you solve a problem like Pudsey Market?
Our reporter spoke to traders about their thoughts on what should happen to increase footfall at the the market. Unsurprisingly there were concerns that online shopping and the ease and accessibility of supermarket shopping was having an impact. Some suggested an increase in advertising for the market, more parking nearby and overhead cover for poor weather conditions, among other ideas.
In 2022 we revisited the market and wrote: There’s a lot to be said for good, old-fashioned community spirit’ – but is it enough to turn around Pudsey Market’s fortunes?. As one trader said at the time: “I don’t want to be all doom and gloom-ish but it’s a vicious cycle. You get less customers, so you get less traders, then less traders means less customers, that’s just how it works really.”
Before we move to present day 2026, let me be very clear, this article is not about talking down Pudsey Market, or its traders. I was brought up in Pudsey and vividly remember afternoon trips in the late 70s/early 80s to the market with my grandma, usually to see Mrs Lawrence’s toy stall in the hope I might be able snaffle a Star Wars figure or two (if they had any). My memory is always of a busy and bustling place, noisy and packed with people.
This week it was interesting – and welcome – to see the Pudsey Market debate reignited on Facebook by Councillor Simon Seary (Pudsey, Cons).
His simple question was: What should we do with Pudsey Market?
The Leeds United mural in Pudsey Market Place. Photo: John Baron/westleedsdispatch.com
Cllr Seary posted: “The honest truth is this: stall costs are already low, starting from just £10, but on some days we are only seeing around four stalls.
“That simply is not enough to cover the running costs, never mind repairs, business rates, electricity and the general upkeep needed to keep the market going.
“We want Pudsey Market to succeed, but we also need to be honest about where things are. So what is the answer? Do we push harder to attract more traders? Do we reduce the number of market days and focus on making fewer days busier? Do we change the offer completely and something totally different? Or do we accept that the current model just is not working as it should at the moment?
“This is not about talking Pudsey Market down. It is about being realistic. A market with very few stalls is not good for traders, residents or the town centre. What would make you use Pudsey Market more? And if you are a trader, what would make you take a stall in Pudsey?”
The questions were being asked before a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) with the head of the council’s market department.
Some of the 309 (and counting) responses echoed what we reported in 2017 and 2022. One commenter spoke about the convenience and generational changes in spending habits and where people buy from.
Issues raised included the need for more promotion, the lack of long-stay parking in Pudsey, work needed to paint and repair the stalls, calls for a roof, some ‘exciting individual/specialised food/drink traders’, a wider variety of traders, introducing fixed, permanent chalet type stalls around the edges and tackling vandalism.
One well-‘liked’ comment suggested: “What about switching to a night market on say a Thursday or Friday. This is an opportunity to introduce street food, local craft beers, and live music.”
Another suggested: “…pop up food stalls with table and chairs and we could sit out and enjoy food and drink.”
And another added: “Is there no way of converting it into an indoor market?? Have some permanent shops and food places? And some shops/stalls traders could use daily/weekly? That way you’d have consistently permanent shops, food which would be nice and it doesn’t matter if it’s raining! And can be locked up and secured at night so kids can’t loiter there and damage things.”
But one comment read: “Is there really a need for a market still? Unfortunately I think the days of having a market are gone. People are working during the week and get a weekly big shop or if you have the time to go purchase your own fresh food you are going to the independent stores around Pudsey.”
Efforts to breathe new life into the market have included a Pudsey Produce and Craft Market that’s been running for nearly eight years on the first Sunday of the month.
Markets have been at the heart of town centres for centuries, but they’ve had a tough time in recent years – are they soon to be a thing of the past? The Manchester Evening News asked the same question in an in-depth article published 12 months ago, wich has the discouraging headline The Slow Death of Greater Manchester Markets. It is worth a read.
One thing’s clear. There’s a need for thinking out of the box and innovation if Pudsey Market is to thrive as it has done for more than a hundred years.
Pudsey folk clearly have some great ideas for their market place, and there’s a love and passion for it that still burns. Some of those ideas require significant investment and where that money will come from is anyone’s guess.
Many await the outcome of Thursday’s meeting with interest.
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