7.30pm, Thursday, 30th April, Chats Palace – meeting open to all
Traders and residents join the campaign. Photo: Joe Lord
It is big but it’s not scary. To get as many people from right across the community involved in the plans for a new weekly street market we’re holding a friendly public meeting on Thursday, 30th April. It’s at Chats Palace Arts Centre, 42-44 Brooksby’s Walk, and the meeting starts at 7.30pm. All comers are very welcome.
The aim of this meeting is to informally outline the basics of our idea and to offer people a chance to have their say on a new market. It’s also the official launch event for our survey in its leaflet form.
We’ll be delivering 15,000 of these survey leaflets to homes and shops in the area over the coming weeks – and to do this we’ll need volunteers! (Though don’t worry: coming to the meeting doesn’t commit you to anything.) The survey’s available online as well, and one lucky person will win £50 in the survey prize draw.
Hands up who wants a market? Have your say at the public meeting.
No doubt many of you will also have questions to ask us. And there are of course many practical issues that need to be carefully thought through in setting up a new street market. (Selecting the right stalls, and waste collection, to name just two of them.)
But we know from speaking to other successful street markets that if we do careful research and inspire enough people out there to stick their hands up and get involved we can overcome most problems. And this is the point where we’d like you to think of a bacon & egg sandwich.
(No really, go with it.) Think of the pig, and then the chicken who contributed to that sandwich. Well the chicken was just ‘involved’. The pig was ‘committed’.
So don’t worry: we’re not asking for any heavy commitments. We just want local people to be involved – even if that only goes as far as filling in the survey and telling us the market idea’s rubbish. (Here’s hoping not!)
See you at Chats Palace, 30th April, 7.30pm. If you can’t make it along but want us to read out your views, drop us a line, or simply post comments your here.
where’s the video?
http://www.chatsworthroade5.co.uk/archives/category/video – enjoy
I absolutely support the development of a street market for Chatsworth Road.
It’s a good idea as long as it doesn’t turn out to be another ” Broadway market”, where people parade up and down and only a very few can afford be buy a measly piece of cheese.
The parking for residents and visitors should also be reviewed as it has become quite congested on the side streets where it still possible to park for free.
Hear hear!
Broadway is full of cheese that only royalty can afford.
Bring back markets that sell broken biscuits and misshapen chocolate – that’s what residents want
I miss the market on Chatsworth Rd. very much. In the 70’s it seemed to be a model of how black and white people could bump along happily together. Chats Palace, also, was an amazingly productive factory of community art and good vibes in the area until it was killed through ‘rate-capping’ and the destruction of The Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority. There are people around who have persevered and deliberately worked, unpaid and often unrecognised, to sustain this spirit. New efforts to revive ‘community spirit’ are precious. Let’s work together cooperatively and consciously to keep alive a sense of local identity and well-being. The Round Chapel, (Clapton Park URC) through the ‘Round Here’ newsletter and The Community Meal has been working in a supportive way for these ideals. I regret to note that you have chosen a date for your Public Meeting which coincides with that of the Community Meal; unnecessarily forcing some of us to make a choice between two local community events.
A post office would help. Also restaurant(s) – it was amazing how many people ate at Thang Long even when the food was deteriorating just because there’s nothing else local. Good Turkish/Vietnamese/ outpost of Il Bacio would be appreciated! How can they be encouraged to open??
a market will be brilliant for our area. even if there are a few ponsy cheese stalls, so what??? look at how broadway market has transformed in such a short time from a crack alley to a vibrant street of cafes and restaurants worth visiting. i won’t be complaining if chatsworth road becomes the next london fields.
I lived near Broadway Market from 1980 to 1996 and saw the changes. At that time the street was like many other historic market streets in London. When you walked through the street you would be standing on beautiful granite set stones. Hackney council has stripped those stones out from almost everywhere in the Borough and you will find them on sale in garden centres for over £1 each. Later the leases on many premises were sold into the hands of a speculator.
Hackney Council is constantly in a state of crisis management and is unable to see that some of the crises have been caused by their own past policies and management practice. There is no point in demonising the Council as there is no point in poisoning the past by describing an area inhabited and used by Hackney citizens as a ‘crack alley’. In fact the drug trade in the London Fields area has become increasingly lucrative as the area has become busier and wealthier. Last year there was a gunfight by the children’s playground on London Fields between the gangs that are competing for this trade. This should serve as a warning about the nature of the broken society we are going to expect our children to manage.
Broadway market has evolved into a little bit of Fulham or Camden. It is not unique. It is attractive and useful but I have a sense of danger and edginess there like i experience in few other places in Hackney.
At the other end of Chatsworth Rd. we are in danger of being walled in by High Rise buildings that will cut the Lea VAlley in half. There is scope to turn this at Essex Wharf that could be transformed into a mixed riverside development and market not unlike CAMDEN LOCK.
ON THE SUBJECT OF MOTOR TRAFFIC.
I suggest that on a market day, movement in and out of the area be improved by the opening of the gates, for one day only, at Rushmore Rd. access Powerscroft. and Daubeney Rd. access Homerton Rd.
I live in E5 and have my business in E8, personally I like broadway market, it provides artisan food that you cannot get locally, it does not detract from local businesses it helps them. I agree the market should be inclusive but lets not exclude local folk who appreciate specialist suppliers of products/food that cannot be found on Chatsworth Road. So many of the general stores sell identical products and junk food is available on every corner. It would be fantastic to have more diversity especially ethical food or an organic offering. I would definitely support a market that endeavored to have some specialized exciting offerings whilst still remaining accessible. The comments I have noted from local businesses is that markets will increase passing trade so lets be realistic if you don’t offer something special why will people come? Please don’t reject completely what has been a resounding and indisputable success in E8.
I was brought up in Powerscroft Road.. I am now seventy and live in Wales. I have assumed that the Chatsworth Road market I kne was still in existence. When did it cease?