Chatsworth Road E5

April 30th saw 120 people attend a meeting at Chats Palace to discuss the idea of a new weekly street market on Chatsworth Road

What follows is our notes of what was said at that meeting. We hope that people who attended find this to be an accurate overview – we’re emailing you guys a copy very soon. And we hope that people who didn’t make it along on the night find this useful and interesting.

Summary of Chatsworth market meeting, April 30th, 2009, Chats Palace

Mix of residents and traders attended, although the majority were residents.

Introduction
Members of the Chatsworth Market Committee opened proceedings by explaining that the purpose of the meeting was to begin a consultation with local residents and traders about the re-launch of Chatsworth Road market.

The background was outlined, explaining that the idea had emerged from discussions within the Chatsworth Road Traders & Residents Association, CRTRA, (originally formed to campaign against the closure of Chatsworth Rd Post Office), resulting in a committee being formed (made up of local residents and traders who all participate on a purely voluntary basis) to take forward the market idea and to investigate its potential.

CRTRA is also looking at becoming a CIC (Community Interest Company), thereby committing itself to strong community involvement and participation. A CIC is answerable to the community it serves. It can access social enterprise and community funding, but it is not a charity.

The meeting was reminded that the Chatsworth Market Festivals (one day events) had only stopped due to lack of people to run it. The old Chatsworth Road market had run up till the start of the 1990s.

Several people raised problems and concerns with trying to replicate a ‘Broadway Market” situation – it was clarified that this was not the intention, as this isn’t the sort of market envisaged as being appropriate, inclusive or sustainable in Chatsworth Road.

It was however noted that those running Broadway Market have been extremely helpful in providing the Market Committee with information and ideas; e.g. on dealing with the Council; and on operating a management committee to select new traders in order to maintain the flavour of the market and to ensure new market stalls complement the existing shops and market traders rather than competing directly with them.

The bottom line is that a Chatsworth Road market campaign needs the support of the whole community and the Council – specifically the council Markets Dept – to launch, and to then run in a sustainable fashion.

To begin the consultation process 12,000 survey leaflets are to be distributed throughout the locality and 3,000 left with local traders on Chatsworth Rd and at other shops. This is to start getting as many people involved as possible.

It was clarified that the Market Committee was seeking to start a community debate on a new market, and that the main parameters it had pre-set on that debate were that: 1) any new market would be weekly, at least to start with; 2) a new market would physically run over the same section of road as the Market Festivals – i.e. from the Dunlace Rd junction where the 242 bus turns off, down to the Rushmore Rd junction.

Questions and issues raised

Initial questions
Is Chatsworth market a ‘royal market’? It was confirmed that this is not believed to be the case and that the Council views Chatsworth Rd as a ‘dead market’, as trading has actually ceased.

Which day would a new market be held? Not decided yet – the survey asks for views on this.

If it went ahead, when could it start? Realistically, not before autumn 2009.

2 main themes then quickly emerged – traffic issues and ensuring the market is really a community venture.

Traffic issues

The question of whether any consideration had been given to road closures came up early. The survey is the main initial opportunity to give views on this. Road closures, bus diversions, parking and other traffic related problems are very clearly seen as major issues and will need careful consultation and planning to make sure the market does not impact negatively on the community. As someone said, no one wants to “live in a traffic jam”.

It was noted that because of the local geography, gridlock can and does easily occur. E.g. any problems on Homerton High Street quickly translate into jams on Lower Clapton Road and past the roundabout. On the other hand, not having many ways in and out of the area is positive as it creates a sense of an ’island.’

It was explained that a new market did not necessarily equate with road closures and that it could be possible to have market stall traders serving people facing onto the pavements, with traffic continuing behind them along the road. This could minimise traffic diversions.

Local parking is already a very serious issue and no one wants a new market to make this worse.

Broadway market is currently researching its own customers to find out how people get to the market – by foot, bus, car, bicycle etc. They have said that CRTRA can see the results of their research – bearing in mind that Broadway Market pulls in lots of customers from outside their immediate area.

The point was made that it’s important to have a high street environment that encourages people to slow down, sit down and “people watch”.

A community market

The meeting was reminded of how nice the old Chatsworth market used to be – especially in terms of generating a good community feel. It was emphasised that a new market should ‘belong’ to the whole community.

Broadway market was given as an example of one that doesn’t seem to reflect a strong local community involvement.

It was noted that markets generally are in slow decline – even Ridley Road – so it will be important to get a re-launched market ‘right’.

The meeting generally expressed the view that a market would be very well supported in principle. (Via show of hands).

The point was made that the area has seen many changes in the last 10 years and that ‘gentrification’ is taking place. A community-based market could help to ensure that all members of the community would have the chance to benefit.

The issue of enshrining and guaranteeing the values and approach of the market, including points of regulation for running the market, was raised. It was agreed that this would need to be in place, with a formal constitution and mission statement, before any new market was launched. The meeting was made aware of the upcoming Tues May 12th meeting at which CRTRA is taking the next steps towards formalising itself as an organisation.

In order for the market to be sustainable it will definitely need local support. By supporting traders, the community is supporting itself – interdependence between traders and the community. It could be a “celebration of community involvement” and giving a voice to everyone. Everyone needs to be able to afford to shop in the market. It should help support/ensure local people’s livelihoods.

Someone wondered how stalls would be chosen – rotating? Regulars? Another concern was expressed around strict requirements for traders. Again, these are the sorts of issues that would be defined as the market became formalised.

Someone wanted to know what the Council’s view is likely to be – Cllr Rathbone explained that it is currently negative, as the Council can’t provide a Market Inspector due to staffing issues in the Markets Dept. It was again emphasised how crucial it is to build a body of evidence that demonstrates the level of support in the area for a new market.

It was pointed out that a written survey is a limited consultation exercise and that it will only engage with certain people in the community. It was acknowledged that much more than just a survey will have to be done to ensure everybody locally is properly given a chance to be involved and to have their say.

It was explained that the Council is to embark on writing its Markets Strategy so this is the ideal time to be coming forward with local support for a new market. If local interest is not lodged with the Council in the next few months the opportunity to be part of the strategy could be missed. There is no current known deadline for the Council forming their Markets Strategy as yet.

Cllr Rathbone also explained some of the things that the CRTRA has already got involved in: i) trying to get the Post Office back; ii) getting more bike racks on the road; iii) trying to find out what is being done about long derelict shops; iv) ensuring that illegal conversions of shop units to residential units are challenged by the Council; and v) successfully protesting against recent Council plans to introduce a new tax on shops placing goods on their own forecourts.

The final comment stated that the potential a market offers the community is enormous – it is all about bringing hope back and offering the potential to ‘have a go’.

The meeting ended with 12,000 survey leaflets being taken away by 30 volunteers, to be delivered door-to-door according to guidance notes.

People attending who were interested in running stalls on a new Chatsworth market left their contact details with the Market Committee.

Everybody was urged to complete the survey themselves, either online at www.chatsworthroade5.co.uk or in the leaflets. Completed survey leaflets can be dropped back to collection points in shops, schools and the library – look for collection posters.

Everybody was invited to the next Chatsworth Association meeting on 12th May, 7pm at the Wayside Community Centre, 24 Chatsworth Rd, when it is intended to begin a process of formalising CRTRA towards agreeing a constitution. Flyers with details were made available by the exit.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 6:33 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.