Willmott Dixon is continuing to play a lead role in supporting Liverpool’s growth with a £7 million contract from the city council to build a hub for a new fruit, vegetable and flower market in Gillmoss.

The new 65,000 square foot market will include parking, a café and public toilets, replacing the existing rundown building off Edge Lane in Old Swan.

Cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “This is great news for the traders who have been waiting a long time for the creation of an attractive new development with modern facilities. The existing market is in a really poor condition and the number of traders has been dwindling for a very long time and the aim of the move is to put it on a solid footing and enable it to expand in the future.”

The contract was procured through Scape Group’s Major Works framework and follows a series for Willmott Dixon in Liverpool. Previously the company has created Archbishop Blanch School, Archbishop Beck Sports College and Notre Dame Secondary School.

The company is currently on site with a £10 million contract to create Birtenshaw and New Heights school in Fazakerley and a £6 million contract for multi-storey car park in Victoria Street to double the number of spaces available, which is awaiting planning permission.

Anthony Dillon, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the North:

“We are delighted to be working with the council to create the fruit, vegetable and flower market. As ever, our approach will be to ensure the work benefits local companies and sustains jobs; so far 60% of spend on previous projects has been with companies within the city region. This includes Liverpool-based A&B Engineering who we used on all our secondary school projects.”

The foot market development will be complete in November 2017 and following a period of fitting out by the traders, will open early in 2018.

Willmott Dixon is also working with Liverpool in Work to offer apprenticeships to local young people. Dominic Sweeney from Hunt’s Cross is one of those apprentices, “Willmott Dixon is a great company to work for. They have helped me find what I want to do and now I am set on becoming a site manager and making my way in life. Knowing that I have prospects makes me feel far more secure about my future.”