Lisa Stebbings is opposed to shipping container style stacks coming to the historic outdoor market
Leeds Kirkgate Market Trader Lisa Stebbings(Image: Samuel Port)
A Leeds Kirkgate Market trader has slammed a new food village set to be constructed on her plot, claiming “drunks, druggies, bad smells and rats” are a problem there.
Leeds City Council is preparing to launch a new range of food, drink and entertainment outlets at the historic city-centre market. The local authority has said that regular pest control visits are carried out. These will be placed in the outdoor market area in a series of repurposed shipping containers over two floors.
The project is called Stack. Plans include a range of 10 street food outlets, six bars, a coffee shop, a stretch tent and two large digital screens. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026.
The project is set to displace traders who currently occupy the area. They’ve said they expect to be moved to the edge of the outdoor courtyard and trade facing a high metal fence.
A look at how the STACK at Leeds Kirkgate Market will look
More than 50 businesses, mainly city-centre restaurants and nightclubs, have signed a letter opposing the council’s project. They believe it will negatively impact the local hospitality sector. The council and Stack hit back that it would improve footfall to the city-centre and the market.
Lisa Stebbings, 56, has been working at the market with her dad since she left school. Her dad David Verb, 74, has had a household goods market stall in the market since 1978.
Lisa argues the market is a destination for buyers on a budget, and not a place where people socialise. Lisa said: “Why an earth would you come to Leeds Market for some nice lunch or a few drinks when there’s drunks and druggies walking about. There’s a smell from the bin yard in the summer, and there’s rats. Why would you come here?”
Leeds Kirkgate Market greengrocer Shaun Dolan(Image: Samuel Port)
Lisa said the project would result in their stall being moved and that they would have “half the space”.
Greengrocer Shaun Dolan, 61, said his family have traded in the city-centre market for 80 years. He trades with his brother Michael, selling fruit and veg at M&S Dolan at the far end of the outdoor market.
Shaun said: “It will just kill the market off, altogether. It’s a market, it’s not a nightclub, pub or restaurant place. It’s a market for people with not a lot of money to buy cheap stuff. Not to come boozing and having meals.
“I’ve been here for more than 50 years, since I was a kid. If it comes, I think we’ll be gone. You won’t be able to trade around a 20ft metal fence that goes 100ft square.”
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are proud of the work we have done and continue to do to ensure Leeds Kirkgate Market remains one of the jewels in our city’s retail crown.
“Our £10m refurbishment of the market’s historic ‘blockshops’ area is now in its final stages, with monthly visitor numbers to the site as a whole regularly topping 480,000. The STACK Leeds scheme will complement the improvements we have already made and bring something new to both the market and the wider city centre.
Leeds Kirkgate Market(Image: Samuel Port)
“In addition to creating an estimated 160 jobs, we anticipate it will benefit the market’s existing traders by driving increased footfall and attracting a broadened customer base. A planning application is due to be submitted by STACK shortly. If the application is approved, then building work is expected to start in 2026. Traders are being kept informed about the progress of the scheme.
“We are committed to making sure the market is a safe and welcoming place to visit and, to this end, we have a dedicated security team on site as well as full CCTV coverage.
“Regular pest control inspections are conducted, as is standard practice for large retail premises. Pest control officers are called out if any issues are identified in between these checks.”
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