An application to protect Bury Market's indoor hall from demolition has been unsuccessful, leading to disappointment for the heritage charity that lodged it.

In May, Twentieth Century Society (C20), the national charity for the protection of Britain’s modern architecture, public art, and design heritage, submitted a listing application for the market hall.

However, it was rejected by decision-makers at Historic England this week, with the body reasoning that the hall’s design was “not technologically advanced or influential” and that “alterations made over time have also diminished the integrity of the original design.”

Designed by Fairhurst & Son (1969-71), the market has drawn comparisons with Eero Saarinen's iconic American airport terminals at John F. Kennedy International in New York and Washington Dulles.

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Historic England said: “We can confirm that we assessed Bury Market Hall, Greater Manchester, for listing, and we advised the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) not to list, which they agreed with.

“Bury's indoor market hall was one of a handful of new market halls built in the post-war period, mainly in the North of England.

“Its townscape presence and distinctive external appearance are considered to be of strong local, rather than national interest, and although providing a technically simple and elegant solution to the problems of complex local geology, the design was not technologically advanced or influential.

“There are no surviving examples of commissioned artwork within the building, which were a common feature of market buildings of the period, and it is not considered to be one of the Fairhurst architectural practice’s most important works. Alterations made over time have also diminished the integrity of the original design.

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“Listing assessments are made against national statutory criteria, and although certainly possessing some claims to interest, overall, for the above reasons, Bury Market Hall lacked the special interest in a national context required to merit listing.

A spokesperson for C20 said: “We were extremely disappointed to learn that Bury Market Hall had not been recommended for listing - a decision we strongly disagree with.

“It is one of only a small number of outstanding post-war market buildings across the country, that are defined by their virtuoso and technically innovative roof structures.

“Its ‘gullwing’ design and curtain wall of glass create an enormous covered space of 2,806 sqm - the same size as half the pitch at Gigg Lane.

“Many building owners and local authorities are now safely and successfully implementing long-term repair and remediation strategies for sites which contain RAAC concrete.

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“Demolition is a wasteful, expensive, and short-sighted approach, when we should be investing in the historic buildings in our care. 

“Having traded continuously for more than 50 years, until it closed abruptly in Oct 2023, we’d now urge the council to proceed with a conservation-led refurbishment of the Market Hall, to allow it to serve the traders and local community for another half-century.

“They should rightly be proud of this civic landmark at the heart of the town.”

The discovery of potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in the roof and loading bay forced stallholders out of the building on October 26 last year.

In September, a council report stated that the cost of the emergency response to the closure of the indoor market hall was more than £950,000.

A spokesperson for Bury Council said: “While we welcome the interest shown by the C20 Society, listing the hall would have pre-determined the outcome of cross-party discussions about the market's future.”

At present, no decision has been made by the council on the future of the market hall, however, they hope to have an update “in the new year.”

When speaking on the year anniversary since the closure, Cllr Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, said: “It came as a huge shock when RAAC was discovered in the indoor market hall.

“In order to protect traders and the public in case the roof collapsed, we had no option but to close the hall with immediate effect.

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“This of course caused huge disruption, and we have done our absolute best to support the traders – from finding them new premises to providing financial support including rent-free and utility-free periods.

"Unfortunately, there is no ‘quick fix’ to the problem, and the situation is more complicated than originally thought. Independent consultants have looked at a wide range of options, and all of them would cost taxpayers many millions of pounds.

“We are continuing to assess all the options in-depth and will keep everyone informed once a decision is made.

“We all love our historic and hugely popular market. This is why we are starting work on building the new multi-functional flexi-hall, and new roof canopies to protect the outdoor market stalls. We also have plans to regenerate the whole of the Mill Gate centre.

“We are determined that Bury Market will thrive for many generations to come.”