A NEW indoor shopping market is to ‘rise from the ashes’ of a closed printing works in Weston, the Mercury can exclusively reveal.

The town market will move from Dolphin Square and reopen in buildings on the corner of St James Street and Richmond Street at a cost of more than �1million.

The proposal, by property management firm Westmardels, is to be submitted to North Somerset Council in September for approval.

And director Chris Jeffries, pictured below, said he hoped the market, which would house up to 40 traders, would be open by March next year.

He said: “I am delighted to unveil the plans which will further improve Weston’s town centre and retain the popular indoor market which is used by so many people.

“This new site will be bigger than before and enable us to provide up-to-date facilities for our traders and visitors.

“I’m very excited by the prospect of this – it will be like a phoenix rising from the ashes of a closed-down area of the town.”

The firm, which has been involved in the market since it opened in 1969, has been forced to consider relocation because of the planned redevelopment of Dolphin Square.

McLaren Life has been given the go-ahead to revamp the shopping centre in three stages at a cost of �35million, bringing in a cinema, gym and line-up of top-brand High Street shops.

Mr Jeffries said he hoped many of the indoor market traders would make the short move across to the new 13,000sqft site with him.

He said: “This development will continued to offer the indoor market as part of Weston’s retail mix and will give our traders the option of transferring to the new site.

“This should clearly indicate to the Weston public and visitors that we are not closing down.”

Above the indoor market, CNC Property Fund Management has outlined plans to convert the empty offices into flats.

The company has signed a deal with Westmardels to occupy the site.