The Market Square needs significant investment to secure long-term economic and social value for the city, and the council is committed to supporting the seven-day market to continue and thrive in the long-term.
Improvements are proposed through the council’s Civic Quarter project to reimagine the area in central Cambridge comprising the Guildhall, Corn Exchange, Market Square and public spaces in between. The proposals for the Market Square build on the vision for the Market Square that was agreed in March 2022.
This vision is for a bustling seven-day market which is an accessible, attractive, welcoming, exciting and safe place to visit, shop and gather during the day and into the evening. This vision continues to inform the developing proposals for the Market Square.
A combination of new permanent stalls alongside new demountable stalls will mean the market can contract or expand in accordance with demand from traders, so that part of the Market Square would be available for additional trading during busier days and months, or to provide flexible space for occasional events.
Latest updates
In late 2025, the Civic Quarter project team submitted three planning applications for the Civic Quarter project to the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (GCSP) service.
Planning Committee took place on 25 March - find out more about the planning decision and next steps.
The proposals for the Market include refurbishing the Market Square, Peas Hill and Guildhall Street as part of the Civic Quarter project.
This will improve accessibility, make the space more welcoming for visitors and traders, and protect the historic character of the square, while ensuring the market can continue to operate in the city centre.
Works will include relaying the historic setts to create a more level and accessible surface, new fixed and demountable market stalls, improved seating and landscaping, upgraded lighting and street furniture, and changes to the surrounding streets to prioritise pedestrians.
A further decision on whether to proceed with the project will be taken by Cabinet and Full Council in autumn 2026, before any work would start on site from January 2027.
The proposals are for the work on the Market Square to be completed in 12 months.
Working with traders and stakeholders
We will continue to meet regularly with market traders and other stakeholders as the project progresses. This includes discussions about stall design, market management, construction phasing and temporary arrangements during the works.
We are committed to keeping traders informed and involved as more detailed plans are developed, and further updates will be shared on this page.
The proposals
The proposals for the Market Square have been continuously evolving incorporating feedback from both public engagement programmes, as well as market traders, market experts, heritage officers and the police.
The proposals include:
- 96 stalls in total (an increase from the initial proposal of 91) - with a commitment that all current traders would be able to return
- 44 permanent stalls (an increase from the initial proposal of 27) - meaning traders who trade most often will benefit from new lockable stalls
- 52 demountable stalls. Traders have expressed concerns about the demountable stalls' assembly time, the impact of hot/adverse weather on performance, comfort of the stalls, and fixing the stalls into the ground - the project team will continue to work with traders and market experts to identify suitable stalls
- retaining and refurbishing the existing fountain on the market, with the aspiration of making it fully functioning in the long-term
- a covered seating area featuring parasols around the fountain, along with trees providing shelter. The proposals respond to feedback about antisocial behaviour in covered areas not being caught on CCTV
- confirmation that toilets for traders will be renovated and remain situated in the Market Square basement to support traders, and that new underground bin facilities will be provided to significantly improve waste storage and collection processes
Accessibility
The council is committed to making the Market Square, Guildhall, Corn Exchange and surrounding public spaces more inclusive and accessible through the Civic Quarter project.
Anyone who has visited the market will have seen that the ground desperately needs relaying. The pavement, road and setts on and around the market currently prevent people from accessing the market if they are wheelchair or pushchair users.
The proposals include resurfacing the whole area to make it much more accessible, while preserving the Victorian granite setts.
Market traders
We know that some traders continue to have concerns about the proposals.
As we move forward with the detailed design work in the leadup to construction potentially starting in the new year, we will continue to work with markets experts and traders to identify suitable new stalls that would be sturdy enough for all weather and would work for traders, using designs that have been stress tested by market traders in other places. We have sufficient time to finalise the detail of fixed and demountable stalls before any works would start in January 2027.
We are working closely with market traders to design a new space that meets their needs, looking at market stall layouts, storage, bins, lighting, and CCTV options to address antisocial behaviour.
Temporary market arrangements during construction
As of March 2026, the latest proposal for the temporary market to operate during any construction period, which would start in January 2027 if the proposals are approved in September 2026, would see stalls at King's Parade, St Mary's Passage, Petty Cury and Sidney Street. We are continuing to consider the option of using Fisher Square for some stalls when some of the locations above are unavailable due to city centre events.
These proposals would accomodate all current traders who wish to trade during the construction period, with 100 stalls available. However, due to space constraints, only 29 of these spaces would be able to accomodate the stalls used on the current market, with the remaining spaces needing to use smaller demountable stalls.
We are still working through the detail, with consideration being given to factors such as servicing, power supply, logistics and the potential impact on individual businesses.
A support package for market traders during works on the Market Square will include offering a 50% discount on their rent for the duration of construction (based on stall size prior to works commencing).
We have also committed to maintaining traders' pitch fees at the pre-decant level for the first 12 months on the redeveloped Market Square.
This work will continue between now and autumn 2026. We will continue with an extensive programme of engagement with traders including through monthly closed meetings, with traders involved as proposals are refined.
