Threats from the planning system have haunted Queen’s Market since 2008. It began with developer St Modwen’s planning application for a tower block and continues today with Newham’s ‘Local Plan’ which names the market site as a development zone. FoQM has had to keep an eye out for planning matters – here’s a summary:
2021
Newham’s new Local Plan Issues and Options
We submitted a response to the consultation on 17 December. Read it here.
Newham’s Statement of Community Involvement
We responded to this document which is about how the council will involve the public in decision-making. Newham are no good at this ! People find their co-create website very confusing, as well as the baffling number of similar consultations.
2019
1 March The new Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz held a meeting about the market. When we told her our concerns about implications of the Local Plan she replied that her planners would be reviewing it and could make changes — this has not happened.
FoQM took part in the Examination in Public of the London Plan speaking about markets, high streets, and public spaces.
2018
April We sent a letter to Planning Inspector asking to speak at Local Plan Inquiry, as the Council had not informed us of it. We wanted to talk about the market as we did in 2011, and highlighted the sentence that had been added into the Local Plan about the Market site: ’Indicative residential typology – medium density, low family. heights of 8 to 12 storeys with potential for a step-up in height of up to 19 storeys at station and stepping down to the low-rise residential context’.
May The Planning Inspector, on advice from the Council, refused us a speaking slot at the Local Plan Inquiry, saying our chance for consultation has been ‘adequate’.
2017
FOQM responded to the Local Plan Review Issues and Options and Issues consultation. Read it here. We were very concerned that Queen’s Market is named Site 27 and still listed as a development site for tall buildings.
2015
18 September: The market was finally listed by the Council as an Asset of Community Value after taking 22 months to make a decision.
We continued the campaign for proper amount of social housing on the Boleyn Ground development. FoQM’s letter to the Council pointed out that the developer’s leaflets and banners prominently featured Queen’s Market traders without their permission. (read)
2014
Friends of Queens Market spoke on the importance of markets at the Examination in Public of the Further Alterations of the London Plan (FALP).
Developers applied to build a new housing complex on top of West Ham’s abandoned Boleyn Ground. We started campaigning for 100% social housing, as the ground was a big part of the community.
Applied to Newham to name the market an Asset of Community Value, part of the Government’s Localism agenda. The usual deciding time for a decision is 8 weeks but we waited 22 months for a decision by Newham.
2012
You heard it from the Big Guy! The Planning Inspector’s report was published on 16th January. In his report Inspector Geoffrey Salter commented that the Queen’s Market building was quite sound (though unattractive!) and ‘far from irreparable’. He acknowledged the local fears aroused by the Council’s last scheme to redevelop the market but noted that it had been discarded. Describing the market as ‘vibrant and vital’ he said that in the light of Council promises to retain the market ‘a scheme for redevelopment or possibly refurbishment would be acceptable’.
Angela Daley, Friends of Queen’s Market Coordinator, commented ‘We are pleased that the Inspector called our market vibrant and vital: we’re glad he flagged up refurbishment as a possible alternative to pulling it down. Now it’s up to shoppers and traders to make their voice heard and safeguard this vital community asset!”
Queen’s Market is described as ‘vibrant and vital’ Planning Inspector’s Report 2012
2011
FoQM took part in Newham Council’s ‘Core Strategy’ process – the planning policy that will govern the borough. The threat is in the small print: it labels the market a ‘strategic site’ for housing for ‘mixed use’ development. There isn’t room for both the market and housing on the site so this would mean pulling down the existing market. We spoke about this at the Core Strategy Examination in front of a planning inspector.
Read more: The planning threatsCore blimey! Report on FoQM Attendance at the Core Strategy Examination (September 2011)
The threat is in the small print in Newham Council’s new planning strategy – it labels the market a ‘strategic site’ for housing for ‘mixed use’ development. There isn’t room for both the market and housing on the site so this would mean pulling down the existing market.
The Core Strategy is the long-term planning policy for the borough yet almost nobody is aware of it, FoQM found out about it from a tip-off. Newham held public ‘Hearings’ for the Core Strategy in September and October 2011 in front of a government planning inspector. FoQM made their arguments heard during the hearings.
Newham Council turned up on 28th September at their palatial waterside Building 1000 (built with £111 million of Newham council taxpayers money) to answer critics of their Core Strategy for Green Street and Queen’s Market.
An independent Government Inspector was there: he heard arguments and will write a report at the end, saying who he thinks is in the right.One of our members who attended reported as follows: “The process is not designed for people to participate in the Core Strategy. The inspector comes to it with the ‘assumption’ that the local authority’s plan is ‘sound’. It’s difficult to make arguments that are planning arguments. This is discrimination against ordinary person with basic views and evidence. We really need a lawyer to argue the points. Inspector doesn’t seem to challenge the council’s evidence”.
FoQM requested official note taking, but this was not allowed. The inspector’s notes were the only record, to himself. Friends of Queen’s Market are compiling their own notes.
The council planners varied from being quite hostile to criticism to quite amenable. The inspector was clearly irritated by the council at some points. The main planner had a technique of spouting, when under fire, she would blurt out large amounts of waffle and technical jargon.
At the end one of our supporters Lucy said: “we were pleased that we had attended the hearings, but there should be far more people doing this; there is something wrong with the system. The simple fact is that if people are not here, then the inspector is not going to tackle a subject fully. So it’s not democratic, it’s a random process of scrutiny of the plans”.
During the first session the inspector said, “clearly somewhere like Queen’s Market is a character asset”
Retail / employment session:
The Council wanted to add large ‘ordinary’ retail stores to Green Street but the Inspector was not convinced where these stores would go. The Inspector said to the council ‘what are you seeking here? Tesco?’ The council planner said, ‘yes floor space is constrained. Need more Tesco. The Council called the ‘strategic site of Queen’s Market’ a site for ‘mixed-use’ development, including retail stores.
Inspector said: “My initial take on it is [Queen’s Market] working brilliantly, why change it? Why provide something different that’s clearly thriving? Went on Thursday, it was packed, busiest shopping centre I’ve seen for a long time. If this is the aspiration, where are the larger units going to go?”
Queen’s Market / Newham session:
FoQM insisted that traders and visitors could sit in the room as hearings were taking place and not in the overflow room. There were over twenty Queen’s Market supporters and traders (– a big hand to the traders who left their businesses to come along and support us!)
All through this session the Council representatives were positive about the market saying ‘we do appreciate the market’ etc. But all their other comments showed they want development on the market site which would entail its demolition.
The council said: “regeneration of the market through new uses, shops, houses, to ensure the market is successful… ” ’‘need new configuration” and ’‘current configuration does not give flexibility” and said they needed ’‘better use of market space”
The Inspector said locals seemed concerned that they will lose existing shops.
FoQM, asked ‘What reassurances can the traders be given for their future livelihoods’. Council said, ‘we can’t comment on the design of any future development [on Queen’s Market] and what it would mean to the shops’
Inspector: ‘that does not give residents much reassurance about where new units might go’
Council ‘we want to reinforce the market – there’s no hidden agenda. Want a stronger market, centerpiece of any development, of town centre ‘offer’ as a whole. We’re trying to set down parameters. We recognize its worth. We do give protection by wanting good design’. Council said: ‘we have no sinister intention’.
Inspector said, ‘can’t imagine getting more floor space unless you have retail on the first floor, this would change the character.’
When the importance of the fresh affordable food on offer at the market was highlighted, the Council said their ‘plans make no provision for affordable food’
Council said it’s not about the cost of keeping it going, it’s about good design and improving the street scene, saying as well that the pub could be knocked down. But the Inspector said ‘they shouldn’t replace the pub if it’s part of the communal facilities.’
Inspector asked whether the council had considered the impact of making the site a ‘strategic site’. They talked about relocation whilst development was taking place and had worries about the disruption. There were references to Canning Town and the demise of Rathbone Market.
The Inspector said ‘the [Queen’s Market] building’s old and unsightly, but that hasn’t affected the vitality and viability of the market’
Council said they’d talked to people at the community forum who said it was ‘unsightly’. FoQM mentioned they had attended a Green Street Community Forum meeting where only 4 local people were in attendance.
Newham Council withdrew their written claim that there are ‘structural integrity’ issues with the building as this was proved wrong and misleading. The Council mentioned the market’s financial viability was not the key driver of changing the market.
FoQM argued that any new housing was more suited for the West Ham site but the council said they could put housing on any site they wished, “with 35,000 people on the waiting list, we have to” (perhaps they forgot that their previous plan for massive tower blocks, entailed the demolition and rebuilding of a market hall and surroundings but offered local people on the housing waiting list a mere 22 extra homes!)
2010
Midlands-based property developers St Modwen who proposed the Asda/Walmart development are forced to leave Queen’s Market – victory for the traders and shoppers!
Read more: The planning threatsGood riddance! Property developers St. Modwen pull out of Queen’s Market (July 2010)
St. Modwen Properties have thrown in the towel with their proposed redevelopment of Queen’s Market, East London.
Friends of Queen’s Market Chair, Sasha Laurel, said “It’s a great day for Friends of Queens Market and thousands of ordinary people, including shoppers, residents, shopkeepers, stall holders and the wider BME communities. We fought these property developers for 7 long years to keep our supply of fresh, affordable food, and now our market is saved”.
St. Modwen’s was Newham Council’s preferred developer for a regeneration scheme on the site of the 110 year old traditional London street market. Following a high profile campaign which included the collection of 12,000 signatures to stop the demolition, the anchor supermarket for the development, Asda-Walmart, pulled out in June 2006. This was the Friends of Queen’s Markets’ first victory.
In May 2009 a multi-million pound planning application was submitted by St. Modwen which included a 31 storey high-rise tower block on the market site with a token amount of social housing. The market was scheduled for demolition and local opinion was deeply suspicious of Newham Council’s claim that St. Modwens would rebuild the market and run it as before. This resulted in sustained grass root opposition to the plans from the local community and 2,600 individual letters of objection. Despite this unprecedented response, Newham Council approved the scheme at planning stage. Friends of Queen’s Market then turned to the final authority, the Greater London Assembly, where London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson deemed the development ‘inappropriate’ and threw it out – Friends of Queens Markets’ second success.
A year later, St. Modwen and Newham Council have parted company, claiming that they could not agree about a way forward. Pauline Rowe, Secretary of Friends of Queen’s Market commented “We will be asking a ‘Freedom of Information’ question to find out how much taxpayers money was wasted on this unwanted scheme, which always had the backing of our Mayor Sir Robin Wales.
Friends of Queens Market took part in the London Plan process, suggesting a new separate policy on Markets and spoke at the Examination in Public.
2009
On 13.05.2009 the then London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority REJECT the St. Modwen scheme to demolish Queen’s Market and pile on ‘inappropriate’ 30 storey tower blocks on the historic site – victory for Friends of Queen’s Market and the local people!
July 2008
FoQM received a letter and preliminary report from the Mayor of London’s planning case officer about the St.Modwen scheme. The Mayor’s office recognised the issues in plain terms. The planning report stated at paragraph 64: Policy 3B.l of the London Plan requires that the spatial needs of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and black and minority ethnic businesses be addressed… The Agency therefore welcomes the discussions between the applicant and market traders to agree rent levels… Rent levels should allow existing businesses to trade without proving unviable or requiring substantial costs to be passed onto the consumer. London’s Food Strategy states that wide inequalities exist in terms of the proportion of family spending on food, where food spending for high income households accounts for 6% of total spending compared with 26% for low income households…Affordability should also consider the service charges. As set out in the Economic Development Strategy, a major issue for SMEs is the availability of affordable premises.
The right thing to do! London Mayor rejects ‘inappropriate’ plans for Queen’s Market redevelopment (May 2009)
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has today directed Newham Council to refuse planning permission for plans to redevelop Queen’s Market in Upton Park, which include the construction of a 96 metre high residential tower block.
When plans were submitted to the Mayor for consultation in May 2008, the applicant was advised that they did not conform with the London Plan on several counts, including the quality of the design of the proposed tower. The applicant subsequently revised the plans but these still failed to address the Mayor’s concerns on the appearance and, in particular the attractiveness of the proposed tower.
The plans also failed to demonstrate that a tall building of the design proposed would be appropriate on the site. The Mayor said:“I have carefully considered this application. However, it is obvious that a tower of this size, so much higher than any existing tall buildings in the area, is neither attractive nor in proportion or suited to any of the surrounding buildings, streets or the general urban realm of Newham.“I am not opposed to the improvements to Queen’s Market, but I am against this inappropriate tower and have, therefore, instructed Newham not to approve these current plans.”
To download a copy of the Mayor’s Planning Decision contact the Greater London Authority: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning
London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority are due to decide the future of our 110 year old street market on Wednesday 13th May 2009.
FoQM have written to the Mayor and Assembly members.
Democracy gone wrong! Newham Planning Officer’s Report (April 2009)
Below is the link to the planning officer’s report which as expected is full of inconsistencies and gaping wide loopholes:
http://mgov.newham.gov.uk/Published/C00000398/M00006937/AI00024280/$QMcommreport.docA.ps.pdf
As predicted, many of the main issues brought up as objections have been left out as the officer tries to legitimise the loss of public amenity and community space, the lack of affordable social housing, the issue of rent, service charges, conditions of Section 106 agreements, high-rise including a 31 storey tower block, over-looking issues, years of noise, pollution…. can you find more?
What’s more revealing is the lack of consultation, or as they’ve called it “extensive notification exercise.” Out of the 2552 responses they received on the plans, 2549 were objections and only 3 were in favour. Does this give Newham Council and St. Modwen the right to demolish the market and cause years of disruption?
INJUSTICE AT PLANNING LEVEL – make your voice heard at the planning meeting on Wednesday 22nd April, 5.30pm!
Out of the 2552 responses they received on the plans, 2549 were objections and only 3 were in favour.
Figures from the St Modwen developer’s application that Newham Council approved
Moving the goal posts! DATE OF COMMITTEE CONFIRMED (Moved from 8th April)
Newham Council’s Planning Department has confirmed Wednesday 22nd April 2009, 6.30pm as the date and time to decide on whether to approve the St. Modwen scheme for Queen’s Market.
FoQM are asking all interested parties to meet outside the Town Hall in East Ham from 5.30pm to protest against the demolition of 110 year old Queen’s Market which is proposed to be replaced with hundreds of private flats (mostly unaffordable), tower blocks of 18 and 31 storeys high and a characterless market hall, whilst increasing rents and service charges for traders and shop keepers at the detriment of local people’s access to cheap, affordable and culturally appropriate food.
For the last 5 years Newham Council and their “preferred” developers St. Modwen have attempted to destroy Queen’s Market with a scheme deemed a “cultural attack”and “racially devisive” by local people and users of the market, with bogus consultations and no end of spin in order to legitimise their unpopular scheme.
To date the scheme has received a record number of objections; 12,000 petition in 2006 against St. Modwen’s involvement on the site followed by over 2,500 individually written objection letters to the plans since May 2008.
A 12,000 signed petition in 2006 against St. Modwen’s involvement on Queen’s Market followed by over 2,500 individual objection letters to their plans since May 2008.
Figures received from Newham Council and FoQM’s records
Food glorious food! From the Greater London Authority, following London Mayor’s visit to Queen’s Market (09.03.2009):
One of the things that the Mayor has been very impressed by is the range and vibrancy of the food sector across the city, and he was pleased to be able to see at first-hand what a fantastic job Queen’s Market does for all of its loyal customers. The Mayor believes it is precisely the kind of market that makes London a world food city.
The Mayor is aware of the development proposals for Queen’s Market and has been consulted on the relevant planning application by Newham Council. The Mayor’s formal comments to Newham Council on the planning application are set out in report PDU/1080/01 (Contact the GLA for further information)
Food is and will remain one of the Mayor’s priorities for making London healthier and more exciting. The Mayor is working with Rosie Boycott, whom he appointed as Chair of London Food, to take forward work to make sure that people in London continue to have access to a full range of healthy, sustainable and culturally-appropriate food. The Mayor believes that street and covered markets have a crucial role to play in improving food access and in providing all Londoners with affordable food, as well as being powerful forces for economic vibrancy in their neighbourhoods.
Thank you again for writing and we would like to take the opportunity to wish you well for the future.
Yours sincerely,
Suzanne O’Neill
Economic Development Team
See it with your own eyes! London Mayor Boris Johnson visits Queen’s Market (January 2009)
Friday 16th January 2009 saw the Mayor of London making a whistle-stop tour of London’s most ethnically diverse market. Evidently concerned by what he has been hearing, he decided to stop off for half an hour to talk with shoppers and traders. Naturally, his visit excited considerable interest and he was followed shortly afterwards by three members of the London Assembly: Jenny Jones (Green Party), Andrew Boff (Conservative) and John Biggs (Labour). No doubt Newham council and St Modwen Properties weren’t best pleased.
To promote and preserve a thriving publicly-owned historic street market 