Westminster Council’s action to set up Maida Hill street market, London’s first street market in 50 years, has been welcomed by Jenny Jones. She recently sent a question to the Mayor about an earlier commitment to carry out an investigatation into whether existing planning policies support street markets. Figures show that there is a large variation in provision of local markets across different parts of London. For example, there are a dozen local markets in Haringey and none in nearby Redbridge.
Fifteen borough-managed street markets have closed down in the last ten years, and others have been under threat, such as Brixton Market in Lambeth and most recently Queens Market in Newham, where local authorities failed to oppose redevelopment proposals.
Jenny Jones said,
"This is great news and hopefully starts a revival of London street markets. The London Mayor needs to provide a vision for London’s existing and new local markets and stronger planning policies to guarantee their long term future. The markets should become highly visible and attractive features of town centres and areas without many fresh food shops."
"Too many Londoners are being let down by local authorities that have made little effort to support their markets or provide residents with new markets, including daily or weekly street, covered or farmers markets."
"If London is to keep its current markets and create new ones, particularly in outer London, the Mayor must come up with an action plan. Local markets can boost local jobs and provide a starting point for new entrepreneurs. They offer high quality affordable food and other goods, tailored to the needs and incomes of local residents, especially in areas lacking fresh food shops. They can improve the vibrancy of high streets and compete with chain stores."
Figures show a huge difference between borough provision of street, covered and farmers markets, for example:
Haringey has 12 markets (10 street, 1 covered, 1 farmers’ markets) Tower Hamlets has 11 markets (10 street, 1 covered markets) Bexley & Redbridge has no street, covered or farmers’ markets
Local authorities with no farmers’ markets are Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, City of London, Croydon, Enfield, Harrow, Kingston, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets.
Only regular daily and weekly markets have been taken into account and ‘specialist markets’ are not included, as they are often infrequent.
Editors Notes:
* The World on a Plate: Queens Market, NEF report 2006 ‘Ninety-nine per cent of the businesses at the market are independent traders.’
* The World on a Plate: Queens Market, NEF report 2006 ‘Queen’s Market is providing a vital soruce of accessible, affordable and good quality food in an area, designated as a’food desert’, that is, it provides poor access to fresh and affordable food. Newham residents spend 1.5 times more of their disposable income on food than the national average and less on healthy food options like fruit and vegetables. Half the wards in Newham have been designated as food deserts.’
* Data on markets has been obtained from the report "London Street Markets" from the London Assembly Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee, 2008.
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/econsd.jsp
Haringey – 12*
10 street markets (private)
1 covered market(private)
1 farmers market (private)
1 specialist markets (private
Tower Hamlets – 11*
10 street markets (borough)
1 covered market (private)
Southwark – 10*
8 street markets (borough)
1 covered market (private)
1 farmers market (private)
4 specialist markets (borough)
Camden – 9*
8 street market (borough & private)
1 farmers market (private)
2 specialist markets (private)
Islington – 8*
4 street markets (borough & private)
2 covered market(private)
2 farmers market (private)
1 specialist markets (borough & private)
Lewisham – 7*
6 street markets (borough & private)
1 farmers market (private)
Merton – 7*
4 street markets (borough & private)
2 covered markets (private)
1 specialist market (private)
Newham – 7*
6 street markets (borough)
1 covered market (private)
Westminster – 7*
5 street markets (borough)
2 farmers markets (private)
3 specialist markets (borough & private)
Lambeth – 6*
6 street markets (borough)
3 specialist markets (borough)
Hackney – 5*
4 street market (private)
1 farmers market (private)
Wandsworth – 5*
2 street markets (borough & private)
2 farmers markets (private)
2 covered market (private)
Barnet – 4*
1 street market (private)
2 covered market(borough & private)
1 farmers market (private)
3 specialist markets (private)
Brent – 4*
3 street market (private)
1 farmers market (private)
1 specialist markets (private)
Hammersmith & Fulham – 4*
2 street market (private)
2 farmers market (private)
Kensington & Chelsea – 4*
2 street markets (borough & private)
1 covered market(private)
1 farmers market (private)
Hillingdon – 3*
1 street markets (private)
1 covered market(borough)
1 farmers market (private)
5 specialist markets (private
Sutton – 3*
1 street market (borough)
2 farmers market (borough & private)
3 specialist markets (private)
Ealing – 3*
1 street market (private)
2 farmers market (private)
Hounslow – 2*
1 street market (private)
1 farmers market (private)
Kingston – 2*
2 street markets (borough)
Richmond – 2*
2 farmers markets (private)
2 specialist markets (specialist)
Croydon – 2*
2 street market (borough & private)
Waltham Forest – 2*
1 street market (borough)
1 farmers market (private)
Greenwich – 2*
1 street market (borough)
1 covered market(borough)
3 specialist markets (private)
City of London – 1*
1 street market (borough)
Bromley – 1*
1 street market (borough)
1 specialist markets (private)
Barking and Dagenham – 1*
1 street market (borough & private)
Enfield – 1*
1 street market (private)
Harrow – 1*
1 street market (private)
1 specialist market (private)
Havering – 1*
1 street market (borough)
Redbridge – 0*
7 specialist markets (private)
Bexley – 0*
2 specialist markets (private)
* the number besides the borough indicates the total of street, covered and farmers markets which are daily or weekly. ‘Specialists markets’ have not been included in the total as generally they take place infrequently.