Refreshed Market Square opens in Stafford with flash mob event

The newly revamped space includes over 2,500 square metres of paving, new furniture and new planting as well as significant improvements to underground infrastructure such as utilities and drainage.

It was officially opened over the weekend, with a flash mob hosted by the mayor of Stafford, Cllr Andy Cooper.

Stafford Youth Theatre performed a rendition of the Time Warp, and there were performances from Dappa Dance and Stafford Rock Choir as well as the Angie Mack Hula Hoop Show.

The work which has been completed is the first phase in the transformation of the town’s high street – with the aim of enabling more events and specialist markets to take place there.

The project was funded through the government’s Future High Street Fund (FHSF) which will also see work will start in the next few months on enhancing the entrance and approach to Stafford Station.

Leader of Stafford Borough Council, Councillor Aidan Godfrey, said: “This is a very important step along the road to regenerating our county town.

“The borough council has listened to people’s views and has made improving the town centre its number one priority.

“What we now have is a fitting centre piece for our county town and a Market Square which is fit for purpose to stage more events and quality markets in the future.”

Photographer Ian Knight was in attendance at the launch event, and said it had been well-received by those in attendance.

He said: “Any visit to Stafford town usually involves a walk through the market square, it has been part of weekly life ever since I moved to Stafford in the 1980s.

“I decided to go to the re-opening of the square to record some of the events of the day and be part of the people witnessing the official ceremony.

“Everyone I talked to was happy to be there and was so glad the work had been finished.

“My general impression, after spending a few hours there, is that there was progress being made in the town and that the future has a positive outlook.”

He said just as the mayor was due to declare the Market Square officially open a young girl ran onto the stage and grabbed the microphone.

At first he was concerned this was a protest, but it soon turned out to be part of a flash mob which had been planned as part of the event.

Despite the well-attended spectacle on Saturday, the new space hasn’t been universally welcomed.

Pub landlord Dylan Hughes felt it had taken too long to complete, and believes the finished paving looks dated.

He also thinks the works have had a detrimental impact on local businesses.

Mr Hughes said: “Not many people were coming up, you had to skirt around it, and I think it definitely had an effect on people not bothering to walk that way and staying away from the centre until it was finished.

“It’s a new thing, but it looks a bit sort of ‘1980s patio’ – maybe they could’ve done something a bit more in tune with the buildings around it.

“It could’ve been a bit more ‘olde worlde’ and fit in Stafford.”

Further projects in and around the town centre include the Staffordshire History Centre off Eastgate Street and plans to transform land behind the railway station.

Earlier this month councillors gave the green light for the purchase the former Co-op department store in the town centre, with plans for a mix of retail, residential, market provision and a food court.