Widespread support for new Chatsworth Rd market confirmed, but concerns must be addressed
Last night’s public meeting saw Chats Palace packed out with local residents and traders debating the potential for a new weekly street market on Chatsworth Road. Seating capacity was far exceeded as an incredible 120 people attended.
The community's debate on a new Chatsworth Rd market begins
We’re delighted at such a terrific turn-out and wish to extend warm thanks to all who came, as well as to the Chats Palace team for providing the venue free of charge. Extra special thanks to the 30 volunteers who took away survey leaflets to be distributed throughout the community over the next two weeks.
The public consultation process is of course only just beginning; it may well be that the views submitted via the survey don’t end up matching the views expressed at Chats Palace. But it seemed clear that the consensus at this meeting was fundamentally in favour of a new street market – so long as it was inclusive, and placed great emphasis on reflecting and engaging all parts of the existing local community.
Strong concerns were voiced too, around parking and traffic, and around the need for the market to be managed by an accountable community organisation with a constitution.
Many other interesting points and issues were raised, and we’ll be circulating our notes from the evening to all those who left contact details at this and previous meetings. (If you couldn’t make it last night but would like a copy of that document please let us know.)
We hope that people who attended the meeting found it useful (maybe even a little bit exciting?) and will now actively take the debate out into the wider community. Please complete the survey yourself, please encourage others to do so too, and if anyone’s got a better photo of the whole crowd last night, send it in and we’ll whack it up here. Meanwhile, comments below, and emails, are gratefully received.
What a great meeting… very well run… letting everyone speak … excellent.
I am ready to deliver leaflets or talk to people and fill in the the survey forms on Chatsworth Rd. I didn’t collect leaflets after the meeting.. I thought people were just queueing to put their names on a volunteer list… Didn’t expect you to be so well organised.
Just got involved, yes a little late but now I’m hooked! I have to say I love the website especially the Logo and look forward to being more involved from now on. Well done for generating local debate and hopefully bringing the community together with a wonderful new market.
As local councillors we are wholeheartedly behind this initiative which will bring new business, support new jobs, and help to foster a community spirit in the area. The launch meeting turnout was amazing and very encouraging and shows the support this has in the local community. Can I urge everyone to fill in the survey, and encourage friends and family to do the same.
This is a brilliant initiative for the area. We are in a position to compete with the likes of Broadway Market and others if we get the tone right of the market. Yes it needs to be inclusive of the community, but no we don’t want it to turn into tat and street stalls that bring down the area. The purpose is to regenerate and lift the community experience. Music, street food, antiques, books, well-produced food, FRESH and organic fruit – all the things you can’t currently get here!
I would like to rent a market stall in Chatsworth Road how could I do this and is this possible
Chatsworth Road is great and un pretentious as it is thank you.
The ‘Traders & Residents Association’ title is rather dodgy:
The Residents Association is in dire need of immediate separation from The Traders Association= CONFLICT OF INTERESTS!!!
The current ensemble and structure of the above. Is that business is putting itself FIRST without exploring the knock on effect to the ‘real’ local community: who can’t afford (expensive latte’s and cappuccino’s! ) to hang out in the ‘clique’ and frequent the business establishments pushing for this market’s resurgence
under the shady guise of a Residents Association!
If you want to live in London Fields or Islington (but can’t afford it!) thats fine, you are still welcome here!
Please don’t impose your desire to boost business profits and propery prices at the expense of such an amazing, lovely mixed community
We don’t need Chatsworth Road turned into (London Fields/Upper Street Islington) – look at the social divide and hyper inflated prices!
PS Allegedly the market will ‘bring new business, support new jobs’ only paying minimum wage: wouldn’t even cover the cost of council tax for living in Hackney. Come on people WAKE UP AND GET REAL before the damage is done to our community!
You can’t stand in the way of change. Gentrification and area improvements is needed and desired by all – especially those who can’t afford the latte’s like me and my family. We’re sick of feeling like we live in a second class area and though we are on an estate, yes, we would still like the area improved – why can’t we have it too?
The above post is the cry of an insecure resident who is minority. New business, new shops, greater choice and fresh food can only be a good thing. And wouldn’t this mix the community even more?
Let’s go for it E5.
To the bloke with the very long name,
As a long term local resident, I’m no more a fan of Islington creep than anyone. I don’t like the way the yummy mummies and their offspring are slowly spreading down Church Street, replacing all the interesting shops with baby shoe and pushchair shops, and militating against any restaurant of hostelry that dares not let children in.
However.
Why should Chatsworth Road Market be a carbon copy of an Islington farmer’s market?
What is stopping us as residents working out what we want from a local market, and making sure everyone’s needs are catered for, no matter what sector of the community they hail from?
Personally, I’d like to see decent, affordable locally grown or made produce (especially items that fill the gaps not covered by local shops, so I can avoid going to that Tesco-branded eyesore on Morning Lane), hot food stalls from the community, serving authentic takeaway food, locally made clothing, art, crafts and so forth. Hackney is a massively vibrant, creative area, so there’s no reason why this should not be represented by the proposed market.
Though this goes for you lot who are organising it as well. This area doesn’t need another massively overpriced farmer’s market. Nor does it need a street full of stalls flogging cheap batteries and ‘Axe’ deodorant. It needs a bunch of relevant stalls selling items which can’t otherwise be obtained locally, that gives local people and organisations a chance to take pitches. Some sort of soup kitchen for the local homeless or skint, paid for by the stallholders and organisers as a whole, would be a decent gesture too.
Oh, and by the way, thanks for sticking your questionnaire through my door. I filled it in, but there doesn’t appear to be an address to send it back to…
Cheers,
Mark
You can drop your survey off at any shop in the local area where you see the poster “Collecting Chat’s Market surveys”.
Or you can do it online…
Cool, thanks Simon, I’ll go for a stroll and drop it off later today.