Essential refurbishments to the Grade II listed Market Hall in Burslem are set to be carried out if a planning application is approved.

The proposed plan, made by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, would include the replacement of roof coverings, new rainwater goods, installation of new maintenance access walkways and repairs to the external brickwork of Burslem Market Hall, on Queen Street. 

The proposed work aims to preserve and protect the former public market hall, apartments, and ground floor retail units. 

The city council stated in the planning application: "The proposed conservation and external fabric repair works aim to prevent further deterioration of the building fabric, helping to preserve the historic structure and facilitate its future reuse." 

Left: Queen Street evevation 1905 Right: Market interior 1973 (images via planning application)

The Market Hall, which is located in the Burslem Conservation Area, was opened in 1879 and closed in 2003 after the condition was judged unsafe, it was then given a Grade II Listing in 2022.

Before the planning application was submitted, the city council took part in a materials option workshop with Historic England where it was decided to match the existing external roof materials, but to update other parts of the renovation, such as replacing the Georgian wired glass skylights with clear laminated glass.

Original internal shopfront designs to the Queen Street shops 2025 (image via planning application)

The design and access heritage statement, submitted as part of the application, said: "Burslem Market Hall is of high local and regional significance, and national interest, as an important surviving example of late-Victorian civic architecture that embodies the former prosperity, craftsmanship, and civic pride of Burslem. 

"Communally, the Market Hall has long served as a focal point for local trade, exchange, and community gathering, embodying Burslem's civic identity and continuity as the 'Mother Town of the Potteries'. 

"Its continued presence reinforces the area's historic townscape and provides a tangible link between Burslem's industrial heritage and its living community fabric." 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council planners are yet to make a decision on the application. To view the full planning application visit the Stoke-on-Trent City Council website here.