A lively cost of living demonstration outside East Ham Town Hall in July reminded councillors and passers-by about Queens Market: how it provides good value healthy food, clothing and goods while inflation drains purses and wallets.

By Pauline Rowe

some people stand holding placards reading hands off Queen's Market — Protesters outside East Ham Town Hall

Friends of Queens Market, a community group of shoppers and traders, were there to protest to councillors about the two proposed options for the market’s future.

Both options seek to build a health centre, library and neighbourhood centre on the market land but option two adds blocks of apartments.

“Importantly the demo seems to have unblocked communications” said FoQM chair Stan Butt. “Immediately after it Friends of Queens Market received a detailed reply to our emails – from the office of Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz who is Head of Regeneration in Newham.”

The email repeated the Council promise that Queens Market is here to stay. Friends of Queens market are writing a considered response.

The market land including shops measures just over 10,000 square metres. The Friends believe it is not possible for the planners and designers to put all extra buildings on the land without demolitions and possibly shrinking the space for stalls.

At risk, they say, are the shops, the kiosks (brick built “permanent stalls” in the market) and the “compound” where traders park their vehicles securely and store vital supplies. The Council promise is only that the “licenced market”, i.e the stalls, will stay.

“But the shops provide jobs and much needed affordable supplies! Don’t demolish them for a library -there’s one already in Green Street. Or a health centre which will only mean that the health authorities will close other centres and transfer their staff” says FoQM co-ordinator Saif Osmani.

The Mayor’s email spoke of the need to provide social housing on the site for some of the thousands on the housing register and temporary accommodation. The Friends supported the campaign for 100 per cent social housing on the former West Ham football ground just up the road. But they say It’s not a fair trade-off: losing essential food supplies for the promise of a handful of social rent homes among the luxury flats.

They say if the profit-chasing developers build social housing at all on such a valuable site it’s likely to provide few social homes. A measly 39 social homes out of 842 apartments – were built on the former Boleyn ground.

“Look at Rathbone Market in Canning Town. Once a bustling council-controlled street market,” says FoQM supporter Maria Sexious. “It’s under private ownership now, shrunk to a handful of

stalls and surrounded by luxury flats. Newham’s shoppers won’t let this happen to Queens Market.”

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition demanding no demolitions, no luxury flats. In September the petition will go to the Council meeting.

Danny Keeling, the Green Party Council leader, will take the petition to the council. FoQM is non-party political: but they welcome support from all sympathetic organisations.

“We will have a big rally outside the Town Hall and hand Danny the petition. Then as many of us as possible will get into the Council meeting to support them,” says supporter Sant Kundi. “The Council is due to hold an engagement exercise for two weeks in October. But they will only ask the public which option. They need to know the views of all the people who signed the petition. Sure, we think there is room for improvement in the market and some improvements are in fact being delivered. But there’s no room for luxury apartments and demolitions.”

The Council is due to decide on the market’s fate in March next year.

friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk

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