Ten years on: the ups and downs of Hereford's Old Market from getting the go-ahead to today

After years in the planning, it was revealed that Hereford may have to wait less than three years to see the controversial Old Market development completed, after planning permission was granted in March 2011.

The developer Stanhope said at the time that the Hereford Futures project should be open by autumn 2013, boasting a six-screen Odeon cinema, a Waitrose foodstore, restaurants and shops - creating more than 1,000 jobs.

Construction work continuing on the Waitrose building at Hereford's Old Market

Herefordshire Council leader Roger Phillips called it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” and coun Chris Chappell gave a passionate speech to the committee on why the ambitious project should go ahead.

“It would mean we would be able to compete with our fellow cities,” he said.

“It is our grandchildren who will benefit and in years to come they will say thank you.”

Coun Phillips said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to give shoppers a 21st century experience while building on the wider regeneration of the city centre which will boost the number of visitors and create new jobs.”

Just two members of the council’s planning committee voted against the plans, meaning work on the former cattle market site could get under way.

Under construction: Roadworks on Newmarket Street, Hereford next to the Old Market development..

Opposition group It’s Our County – whose two committee members voted against the plans – said the development would be detrimental to the viability of Hereford’s “established commercial heart”.

“This decision demonstrates once more the reluctance of any of the county’s three main political groupings to question the commercial wisdom of this scheme,” said the party in a statement.

It also questioned whether the project could properly integrate with the city centre because pedestrians would still have to cross the dual carriageway at Newmarket Street As part of the regeneration project, approval had already been given for a flood alleviation scheme on the Yazor Brook, set to protect more than 100 homes and businesses in the Edgar Street area.

A link road connecting Edgar Street with the bottom of Aylestone Hill was also given the thumbs up.

But it has not all been plain sailing for the development, which finally opened to shoppers in May 2014 after delays due to reasons including the Queen's Diamond Day visit in 2012.

Opening of Hereford Old Market . A new British Land Shopping Centre.

Speaking to the Hereford Times on opening day, councillor Tony Johnson, then leader of Herefordshire Council, said: "We are excited about the opening of Old Market which has taken some ten years to come to fruition.

"The movement of the old livestock market was the first step towards completing the masterplan for the area and we are delighted that the livestock market is now one of the most successful in the country.

"The Old Market development has attracted £90m of private investment and is the only retail development to be opened in the country in 2014; great news for the people of Herefordshire.

“The development has not only attracted new retail names but has ensured that names like TK Maxx and Next remain in the city; which would not have been possible without new retail space.”

The former Chimichanga and Prezzo restaurants in the Old Market Shopping Centre, Hereford

But four years later, the development saw its first casualties, as Italian restaurant chain, Prezzo, announced plans to close 94 restaurants, including 33 outlets of its TexMex chain Chimichanga in 2018.

The closures left the Old Market with two empty restaurant units, which have not reopened to customers since, but now both have new tenants including a Korean BBQ restaurant set to take the reins.

The restaurant closures were followed by Swarovski, which closed in September 2018. The Yankee Candle shop which replaced it also closed in 2019.

Frankie & Benny's was next to close in July 2020, as owner The Restaurant Group announced it was shutting 125 of its sites across the country.

But life was again breathed into the empty restaurant in November, as The Beefy Boys announced they would be extending their restaurant into the unit.

Hereford Debenhams launch it's closing down sale..

And in January, another devastating blow came for the development, with both Debenhams and Arcadia Group, which owns Topshop and other brands, announcing the closure of their shops.

The closure of the Debenhams store, one of the development's 'anchor tenants', leaves the largest shop on the site empty, raising questions as to what its future holds.