TODAY The Argus puts the spotlight on the Brighton Open Market in London Road.

Last week we featured The Specky Wren opticians and its fantastic front window displays.

This week we have been back to take a more in-depth look at a well-known site in the heart of the city community.

The Open Market boasts more than 45 permanent independent retail units, 12 artists’ studios and a number of plaza traders.

It has a combination of traditional and contemporary market traders, including cafes, Sussex produce, clothing, toys, art, music, art, live music, workshops, and hosts outreach events for the community as well as being home to Radio Reverb.

London Road is one of the most vibrant and eclectic areas in Brighton, which has improved greatly in the past few years.

The market promotes itself as “Brighton’s only covered market destination”.

The history of Brighton’s Open Market began in the 1880s when barrow boys began selling fruit and vegetables in Oxford Street.

This provided a source of cheap food to people on low incomes.

In the early 1920s, Brighton Council attempted to move the barrow boys from their Oxford Street pitches.

The traders did not want to go, resulting in the “battle of Oxford Street” in which Harry Cowley led to a mass protest against the plans.

As a result, the barrow boys and stall holders were given permission to trade in the central rose-walk of the Level.

This continued until 1926 when the market moved to Marshalls Row, the beginnings of the present site.

In 1938 the houses on Marshalls Row were demolished and several permanent market stalls were created, expanding the site.

Its success continued and in 1960 an expanded market with 42 stalls was opened by the Duke of Norfolk.

Though the new market initially thrived, it suffered a slow decline in trade from the 1970s onwards.

In April 2006, the city council and the Open Market Traders Association produced a business case for a new market, the end result of which you see today.

The redevelopment has been achieved through a partnership approach involving the Open Market Traders, Hyde Housing Association and the council.

The demolition of the old market enabled the creation of 45 larger permanent market stalls offering a diverse range of goods that promote fresh, healthy food and local producers; a new covered market square for visiting markets, temporary stalls, community activities, street art and entertainment; 12 small workshops for arts and crafts people and producer/retailers; and 87 affordable homes.

The new market is owned by the Brighton Open Market Community Interest Company (CIC) as a social enterprise for the benefit of the community.

Marco Wren and business partner David Carmichael, who own The Specky Wren opticians in the market, say it’s a great place to be.

Marco said: “It really was a struggling area a few years ago but I am so pleased with the transformation that has taken place.

“There were so many derelict properties in the area as well as a number of social problems.

“It has all changed now and the revolution seems to have been led by the growing number of restaurants and cafes.”

The changes began in 2012 when the area received up to £100,000 of regeneration cash after being named as one of the Portas Pilot high streets.

Its bid was one of just 15 from 392 applications to be chosen as part of the Government’s scheme to breathe new life into the UK’s shopping areas.

Along with the cash, expert advice was on hand from TV retail guru Mary Portas and her team.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, who at the time was chairman of the council’s economic development and culture committee, described it as a “fantastic result” for the city.

He said: “I’m now expecting this energy, the new money and our forthcoming new open market to eventually turn around London Road’s fortunes.”

And, says Marco, it’s working.

He said: “It’s a massively changing area and is wildly different to how it was before.

“You only have to come here to see the green shoots. There are now some great restaurants and bars.

“There has been a clear resurgence. There used to be a number of empty units and they have been filled initially by the offer of lower rents to people wanting to move in.

“It’s a very strong area for independent businesses.”

In 2014 London Road was hailed as the city’s new Shoreditch.

Pubs were leading the way but the whole area was following.

Several shops, which had stood empty for months if not years, finally had the builders in.

And that is how the area has developed.

It’s a buzzing and rapidly expanding area.