This week, an area manager from the Mayor of London’s office and the Greater London Authority (GLA) visited Queen’s Market (21/01/2025) with a community-led envoy of shoppers, traders and shopkeepers at hand to tell the truth about their experiences regarding the fast disappearing Good Growth funds, that promised so much, but simply delivered cheap decorations!
The envoy including Friends of Queen’s Market, representatives from the traders association and independent shoppers who walked around the market with the GLA area manager and a Newham Council manager for an hour. Local people were visibly frustrated with the terribly slow progress with the Good Growth fund amounting to £7.3million, saying that that they have been ‘kept in the dark’ by public officers, and to add salt to injury, Newham’s “digital divide” a.k.a. Co-create website wasted another £3.1million. When asked about the money re-directed from Queen’s Market to suddenly “save” Stratford’s Market Village (formally Inshops), the manager from Newham Council described the re-directed £700,000 as a “small amount” – seems like a big number to us, seeing as the Council have recently announced near bankruptcy, and wanting to increase Council Tax by a whopping 10% – WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE PUBLIC FINANCES, WE ASK ?
The fact that there is no new roofing nor improved flooring to date, despite the early promises is an absolute travesty.
The terribly ineffective Con-sultation process and money allocated to deliver the outcomes was raised with the GLA manager, as was the 11 consultations that took place at one time for Queen’s Market – local people were left confused throughout the entire process. Behind the fake consultation façade, the Council was scheming to demolish our historic market, and to pile on luxury flats that locals cannot afford in a lifetime. “The Council have their own contractors, so there’s no way in. It’s like a closed shop, it’s their way or the highway”, said Jamshed, a local trades person.
The lighting that fails to light anything effectively was described as “substandard” and of “poor quality” by the traders association representative. “Millions were spent without asking anybody”, said one shopper visiting from North East London. It transpires now that further lighting will be added by the Council – what about reimbursing the lighting bills for the traders?
The pigeon-netting still allows pigeons in, and structural fabric of the market building has not been improved – see photographs below:
The Market Manager who was also present during the walk around appeared to shrug off genuine concerns, and gave ‘off-the-peg’ answers to what were basic maintenance issues. “It’s so frustrating to communicate with management, who are always first to cover their backs and play the Blame Game, but never do the right thing. We’re not asking for much”, said a shopper.
The community-led envoy told the listening GLA area manager that procurement took an extraordinary long time, and that works were due to be completed in May 2023. We’re almost 2 years over schedule. There’s the markets department, asset management, highways, planning department, property service (One Source) and carpark departments to get through, so decision-making takes too long, and to the detriment of the community and the market traders.
“It’s like a game of Russian dolls inside the Council. We’re told to speak with this department, this head, that officer, that new department – where is the accountability?”
Image (above): Dealing with Newham Council is like a “game of Russian Dolls” say locals [Image source: goldencockerel.com]
The aggressive and annoying loud tannoy that blares out warnings to shoppers about pickpockets fails to welcome visitors to the market. Instead it puts people off from visiting. This is counter to any marketing strategy in the United Kingdom – “We’ve never seen anything like it. [Market] Management appear clueless”, said another local shopper. (The tannoy announcement appeared to have been switched off during the hour-long GLA visit, and then switched back on afterwards).
Photograph (above): Eagle-eyed volunteers at Friends of Queen’s Market showed the GLA and Newham Council managers what local people were presented with at stage 1 of the Co-create process, and what they are now being lumbered with.
“We’ve never seen business this bad. Trade is down. The Council just don’t care, and cannot see how months of disruption affects us. We want to be respected by the Council. Right now, we’re being treated sub-human”, said one longtime trader.
The GLA area manager and Council manager admitted that certain promises from the Good Growth fund have not been delivered adequately and that decisions had changed from the first instance. They said that they will encourage better communication on Queen’s Market with the community and traders, and chase up the current status of the Good Growth expenditure to hasten its delivery. Well, we’ve waited long enough!
Photograph (above): the community-led envoy at Hamara Ghar Square, located next to Queen’s Market. Traders say that their ideas were not integrated into the final renovation of the square, and that maintenance is woefully negligent.
And to top it off, the lighting in the carpark is practically none existent. It’s so dark after 4pm that it’s scaring shoppers away…
Photo (above): The Queen’s Market carpark where a trader recently counted only “1 light of 36 working” [Source: QM trader]
NEWSFLASH (21/02/2025): We never give up! at last, two sort-of wins In the fight to save and improve the market….
- The tannoy now welcomes people to the market as well as going on about pickpockets and thieves (the welcome is only in English: wot no inclusivity?)
- Newham’s “digital divide” Co-create website has been updated for the first time in months. It says that there is an ‘internal review’ of the two ‘demolish and develop ‘ options for the market’s future. And they actually invite ‘residents with immediate concerns’ to email them on HFGfuturestrategy@newham.gov.uk
So if you are a resident, trader or market shopper and if you are concerned by the threat of luxury flats on the market site: if you have questions about the Council’s less-than-transparent dealings with our market, why not email in and ask. If you like you could copy in friendsofqueensmarket@yahoo.co.uk so we can monitor public concerns. The council even promises to put ‘relevant’ responses on the website. FoQM says don’t hold your breath!
To promote and preserve a thriving publicly-owned historic street market 