Outdoor hospitality area Market Place

Originally proposed as a temporary
measure intended to support local hospitality businesses severely challenged by COVID-19 restrictions, the outdoor hospitality area in Market Place, Macclesfield, has been a big success – and is here to stay.

The Cheshire East Macclesfield Town Centre Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) (PDF, 4.4MB) has an objective to ‘Grow and diversify our leisure, cultural and evening economy’ and the Macclesfield Town Centre Recovery Plan stated ‘a strong desire to see outdoor space used more for outdoor seating, to support the hospitality sector’. 

Cheshire East worked in partnership with Macclesfield Town Council and Macclesfield Hospitality Action.  We liaised with the Disability Information Bureau, set up a Traffic Order, replaced the disabled parking spaces on King Street, repurposed the spaces on Market Place, worked with the businesses to gain pavement licences and installed the planters and seating.

This scheme has enabled independent hospitality businesses to operate in an expanded area whilst social distancing measures were in place.  It has, and will continue to significantly increase the vibrancy and ‘café culture’ in this part of town.