Newham Council-backed private enterprises have once again demonstrated a preference for enriching the affluent over supporting local family-owned businesses. The beloved Market Village, situated within the Stratford Centre, abruptly closed, leaving traders in financial ruin, with only one hour’s notice!
Local shopkeepers were left dismayed as their livelihoods and family enterprises were seemingly disregarded by Newham Council, who we are told had initially leased the land where Stratford Centre stands to private entities. Later, Groupe Geraud (GeraudUK) took control of the indoor market stalls within the Market Village (formerly Inshops). Then Stratford Markets Properties Limited took control, and now it turns out that the poor traders have to negotiate with Unex – what a winding fiasco!
Despite the bold claims made by the Geraud UK group on their website, their ability to manage a small shop in the East End of London came into question.
One resident expressed their disappointment, stating, “It’s one of the few places I frequent in the centre because of its focus on local people and small businesses. There are East End community cafes, not just faceless chain stores. I used to go for my (Chinese) curried chips, buy books in the African shops, household items and my weekly supply of fruit and meat. The traders were always friendly. The closure of Market Village has made Stratford Centre increasingly dull, and I’ll be reducing my shopping there.”
For further details, read the Newham Recorder story here: https://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/24046578.stratford-centre-confirms-market-village-set-close/
ITV coverage: https://www.itv.com/news/london/2024-01-19/stratford-market-traders-shut-out-of-their-businesses
BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68007233
To find out more about Geraud UK or to make a complaint, visit their (slick) website at:
https://www.groupegeraud.co.uk/
Be warned! Privatised entities give the impression that traders are safe, but the recent appalling mistreatment of traders at Stratford’s Market Village proves that any kind of privatisation means that responsibility will be passed down to others, and soon traders will be left with next to no rights.
We are told by traders that certain local Councillors have been listening to the traders and trying to help but have been left with nowhere to turn. Where the land is private, no safety is guaranteed, as the big boys make the cash for themselves at the expense of the small traders. If you want to hear the latest on how the Council has responded during this forced displacement, email sabia.kamali@newham.gov.uk
You can sign the community’s petition here: chng.it/5zrdNTCn
Some kind of OLYMPICS LEGACY we have in Newham!
Images (above): a 2-paged letter from the Mayor of Newham that make contradictory statements including that it’s in their “…interest is to protect the livelihoods of local traders…” – well, not for Queen’s Market where we’ve been given just 2 options (not voted for by us), both include unaffordable luxury flats and demolition of the market !
To promote and preserve a thriving publicly-owned historic street market 