The multi-million pound project to restore a historic Stoke-on-Trent market has begun.

The approximately £4 million worth of work started on Burslem Market Hall on 7 April as part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's commitment "to help safeguard and bring back into use the city's most treasured heritage buildings".

Stoke-on-Trent-based contractors BSN Group will be stripping back and replacing the current roof (which has been deemed unsafe) and work will also be carried out on the brickwork, guttering and other external features.

The council hopes to begin using the market hall as soon as possible after work has been completed.

Inside the building, a temporary events space will be created that organisations will be able to use in the short to mid-term.

Work started on Burslem Market Hall on 7 April (image via Liana Snape)

The Grade II listed market on Queen Street, which was built in 1879, closed its doors in 2003 after masonry dropped from the ceiling and it became unsafe.

Council Leader Jane Ashworth, who visited the site today (Friday 1 May), said: "I don't think there's any doubt about it, Burslem wants to come back to life.

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"It wants to be the mother town once again, and it's really important to us that we have events going on and that some of the old heritage buildings are restored.

Cllr Ashworth said that she believes Burslem is "on a better pathway than we have been before".

She added: "I would be lying if I said 'oh yes it's all hunky-dory' - because it's not. But we are definitely making progress. 

"We're managing the situation as well as we can and it's on the road to improvement."

The market was built in 1879 and closed its doors in 2003(image via Liana Snape)

MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, David Williams, who also visited the site, said: "My mum is from the area and I grew up around this area, so it's really upsetting me to see old buildings fall into rack and ruin. 

"People care about the heritage, they care about these old buildings and people are fed up that they're not being used."

He added: "I'm really excited actually. There's a real vibe around Burslem at the moment. 

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 "People are coming up to me when I'm in the town, saying they can feel there's a vibe in Burslem so we have got to get those buildings back into use.

"It's a tough ask because it costs a lot of money, but that doesn't mean we don't start somewhere – so let's make a start."

Stoke-on-Trent-based contractors BSN Group are working to strip back and replace the current roof (image via Liana Snape)