CONGRATULATIONS to everyone for your 7 year-long support.
***PRESS RELEASE***
VICTORY FOR QUEEN'S MARKET!
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 Quee'ns 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. Modwens 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 Queen's 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.
PRICE COMPARSION - FoQM did a price comparison by purchasing the same fruit and veg at a local supermarket on the local high street (Green Street in Upton Park). It puts a new twist on the catchphrase "every little helps".
Successive governments have dabbled in social engineering with varying degrees of success. These attempts to establish racially harmonious communities have invariably proved as futile as an alchemist's attempts to turn bass metal into gold. Yet, in Queen's Market there has evolved a remarkable community that is London's,and in probability Europe's most ethnically diverse. Over the course of the market's one hundred year history successive waves of immigrants have made the East End their home; ranging from Russian Jews escaping the Tsarist pogroms at the beginning of the twentieth century to Zimbabweans fleeing the tyranny of Robert Mugabe in 2009. Rather like a coral reef this multi-layered and multi-faceted community is a fragile form, easily destroyed, yet near impossible to replicate.So why is this market such a magnet to ethnic minority communities from right across London? Its success lies in the fact that its functions are many and varied. As a social space it provides an ideal arena for social interaction. The market is a living information exchange, a place of linguistic comfort, education and of course, gossip. The human dynamic of the market and its environs energies and reinforces cultural identity for people, many of whom feel maginalised and lost in London. With over 85% of the shoppers coming from African, African-Caribbean and Asian communities it is evident that the style of shopping is redolent of that found in the markets of Kumasi, Kingston and Karachi. Any one who is familiar with Russell Market, Bangalore will know exactly why Queen's Market resonates in the way that it does. With its souk-like ambience, access to fresh, culturally appropriate produce and goods at amazing prices ensures that news of the market spreads far beyond the East End. This human reef has some rarer national groups if one is prepared to explore; who would have thought that Burundians, Ecuadorians, Latvians andthe Togolese would be regular denizens of Queen's Market - they too have heard of its fame. The market has also provided a fertile environment for entrepreneurs to start toput down purposeful roots in the UK. It is encouraging self sufficiency and a degree of financial independence that has helped successive communities to become an essential part of that extraordinary world city that we call London. Queen's Market continues to evolve and absorb the social mores of countless nations. Add to this the piquant Cockney humour and you have the sort of cocktail of peacefully coexisting humanity that social engineers can only dream of.
Jan 2010: Our letter to The Mayor of London urging him to include a Markets' Policy in the Revised London Plan.
Dear Boris Johnson,
Policy 4.8 Retail Diversity - Missing Separate Policy on Markets
“Markets have traditionally not been the subject of much attention within the policy domain, and the dominant policy narrative has been that of markets deteriorating.”[1]
The Mayor recognises the independence of local authorities but in recent times local authorities have not always been sensitive to the benefits of street markets and have pursued policies of running them down and selling or leasing the land to developers who have little interest or experience in maintaining markets.
The social role that street markets play should be recognised as they contribute to equalities; providing opportunities for small entrepreneurs, supplying food at prices below supermarket prices, supply of cheap fresh ingredients, acting as social spaces, fostering community cohesion through inter-ethnic engagement is invaluable and we ask that all current street markets in London should be preserved.
Markets contribute to health equalities and often provide jobs to heads of families (bread winners).
In the Draft London Plan there is a policy for Small Shops but no specific policy for markets. They appear in text alongside Policy 4.8. Policy 4.8e which says:
“support the range of street, farmers’ and, where relevant, strategic markets, complementing other measures to improve their management, enhance their offer and contribute to the vitality of town centres”
The retail areas around markets, and their owners’ plans for development, must not be allowed to threaten the benefits and viability of the markets themselves. The present wording suggests that markets are only valuable where they draw shoppers into retail centres. We urge that you remove the phrase which suggests that markets should only (or especially) be supported where they draw business to shops.
Markets should not only exist where they support the vitality of town centres but they help ‘peg’ communities and small businesses together, especially at times of economic recession whereas high street shops like Woolworths suffer to the detriment of people’s access to goods, so it’s very important to protect them in any location.
Boroughs must not only consult transparently with the retail sector but this should include market traders and consumers/users of the market, in the case of 110 year old Queen’s Market in Upton Park, most users have English as 2nd language and so a more thorough level of consultation must also take place to ensure that certain groups are not left out from voicing their concerns or be further marginalised in future.
We propose a policy in the London Plan as follows:
The Mayor will identify and protect London's street and covered markets for their contribution to health, enterprise, local economies and their social value to London.
Boroughs should:
- recognise the benefits of their markets to health policy, local enterprise policy, social policy, local economic policy
- seek to retain the ownership of markets as a public benefit
- in considering proposals for redevelopment of markets consult with traders and shop keepers and consumers/users of the market
- in considering proposals for redevelopment consider whether this will impact on economically hard-pressed groups
- enable mechanisms to protect the levels of rent necessary for the market's social and locally affordable function
In the GLA London Street Markets Report (updated May 2009) recommendations were made as to how these goals should appear in the London Plan:
2.3 If the final London Plan does provide specific strategic direction relating to the importance of street markets, this would mean that in all future planning developments across London, boroughs would have to make a provision to ensure street markets are protected, supported and exist in environments where they are encouraged to flourish.
We ask the Mayor urge local authorities to co-operate with local communities and entrepreneurs in preserving and re-vitalising markets and note the success of the Old Enfield Charitable Trust in taking over the management of Enfield Market and urge local authorities to consider similar social enterprise options before considering site disposal.
Yours sincerely,
Friends of Queen's Market
[1]Percival, T (2008/9). Commercial Gentrification in a global city: The changing nature of retail markets in East London, University of Leeds, School of Geography p.19.
We've been saying for ages that Queen's Market offers cheap, good quality fresh food- so why not go down and bag a bargain for yourself.
London Mayor Boris Johnson and the Greater London Authority have REJECTED theSt. Modwen scheme to demolish Queen's Market and pile on 'inappropriate' tower blocks on the historic site.
Mayor rejects ‘inappropriate’ plans for Queen’s Market redevelopment
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnsonhas today directed Newham Council to refuse planning permission forplans to redevelop Queen’s Market in Upton Park, which include theconstruction of a 96 metre high residential tower block.
When plans were submitted to theMayor for consultation in May 2008, the applicant was advised that theydid not conform with the London Plan on several counts, including thequality of the design of the proposed tower.The applicant subsequently revisedthe plans but these still failed to address the Mayor’s concerns on theappearance and, in particular the attractiveness of the proposed tower.
The plans also failed to demonstrate that a tall building of the designproposed would be appropriate on the site.The Mayor said:“I have carefully considered thisapplication. However, it is obvious that a tower of this size, so muchhigher than any existing tall buildings in the area, is neitherattractive or in proportion or suited to any of the surroundingbuildings, streets or the general urban realm of Newham.“I am not opposed to the improvementsto Queen’s Market, but I am against this inappropriate tower and have,therefore, instructed Newham not to approve these current plans.”
Newham planning meeting gathering: 22nd April 2009
< See more pictures by clicking on the 'Pictures' tab on the left ................................................................
7th May 2009: GLA to have final say on Queen's Market
Following Newham Council's approval of the St. Modwen planning application, FoQm lobbied Mayor Johnson, who had the last word and consequently rejected the application. A VICTORY FOR THE EAST LONDON COMMUNITY!
Below is the letter we sent:
Dear Mayor Johnson,
We strongly believe that the proposed development would be detrimental to the people of Newham and a threat to Queen’s Market itself. It will have significant negative impacts and falls very short in providing for local needs.
These include: the provision of affordable healthy food; local employment and enterprise; affordable social housing and active play space for children; an attractive, healthy environment for Upton Park; the reduction in traffic and CO2 emissions; the prevention of anti-social behaviour. Newham Council’s report confirms a list of negative impacts (housing mix, open space, loss of light, health, education, wind, noise, air quality, transport, parking)but chooses to brush them aside.
Your Stage 1 report stated that the development is not compliant with the London Plan. Even if minor changes have been made since then, we believe that the scheme overall does not comply with the spirit of the London Plan which aims to improve the quality of life for everyone and give extra help to disadvantaged Londoners. From our own and independent research we have found that a viable alternative proposal to improve and renovate the current market is wanted and welcomed by the majority of people in the area. However, the current proposal will prevent the creation of any alternative scheme. Newham Council, in its unwavering support of the development under Mayor Robin Wales,has been unwilling to listen to the concerns of thousands of local people - and we hope that you will do so. Friends of Queen’s Market:Friends of Queen’s Market has worked together to represent the views of hundreds of people over a six year period since St. Modwen Properties showed an interest in the site of the 110-year-old street market. During this time 12,000 signed a petition against the developer’s involvement on the site: the petition was handed to the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. Subsequently 200 people marched down Green Street to protest against the Council /developers plans for the market and 2,600 letters of objection have been sent in the past year. Newham has never seen this scale of objections to a planning proposal, showing the strength of feeling it has caused. We recognise that there have been minor changes to the development and some revised plans, but we do not think that these cancel out the overall unsuitability of the scheme.
The successful market: Last year Queen’s Market was runner-up in the BBC Radio Four Food & Farming Award for best food market in the UK. The judges looked for ‘excellent produce’ and‘ making a difference to the local community’ and described the market as the‘throbbing bustling hub of a truly multi-ethnic area’. As you saw on your visit, Queen’s Market is very successful and provides a specific vital service selling affordable healthy food, as well as other goods, to a poor community. Both Newham Council’s Equalities Impact Assessment and the New Economics Foundation study (‘The World on a Plate’ 2006) acknowledge that affordable prices for the shopper are predicated on the current sustainable rent levels for stallholders. Queen’s Market also provides a recognised and important social space open to all, where diverse communities come together. Community cohesion is the heart of traditional street markets and in a borough with the kind of demographics of Newham this is vital and fragile resource. The importance of this should not be underestimated. Developer St Modwen has no statutory duty to continue operating the market in this way andwe do not see how their plans show due concern for retaining the special character of the current market, or due regard for the site itself. In this respect the development would be contrary to PPS6 which requires local authorities to retain and enhance existing markets - surely not just in name, but by supporting and enabling the traders who make up these markets.
Affordable rent: Affordable rent is key to the current market’s success. We question St Modwen’s promise to freeze stallholders’ rent for five years at the time the market closes: without a specific figure the freeze guarantee is meaningless. Rents could rise from now on, as they have been doing. Shop owners have in fact received letters from St. Modwen asking for a 100%+ increase in rents. After the five year period, rents could, and from evidence of other countrywide markets will, rise to unmanageable levels for the current traders. We note that service charges will be imposed and not frozen. These charges will be to RICS standards and ‘transparent’ but that guarantee again gives no reassurance of sustainable charges that enable the current traders to keep going. These extra costs will fall on the heads of local families, feeding large families on some of the lowest wages in London.
Temporary arrangements for the market: We are very concerned that the temporary arrangements are not viable and will result in a serious loss of traders, immediately damaging the market before it re-opens.The temporary period would last three years (Council report 7.6).Pitches willreduce from 150 to 116, and nearly all shop spaces will not be temporarily relocated. Only 44 traders’ car parking spaces will be provided. So we are concerned that overall there are not enough temporary places for stallholders and traders, their cars and vans and the safe storage of goods. Half of the temporary stalls would be put out along the main high street, Green Street, a less practical space by far and not conducive to social gathering. Note that this is also the football crowd’s route from Upton Park tube to West Ham stadium. We can supplement the scant information about the temporary arrangements with our notes from a conversation at the GLA on September 8th between Jenny Jones, Nick Kay of St Modwen, Saif Osmani and Pauline Rowe of FoQM and others:
1. St Modwen states that some stall holders wish to take a “sabbatical”, however this seems unlikely and unwise in the current climate. We are concerned that the reduction is beginning already with vacant pitches not being filled.
2. We were told that shop owners will trade as stallholders in the temporary market. This would increase the pressure on stallholders’ places and is not viable for many of the shops, eg. hairdressers and beauty parlours, causing their demise.
3. We were told that there will be no safe storage space and that goods will have to be transported daily, with safe storage in traders’ vehicles. Only 44 parking spaces have been allocated to all traders and this potentially further reduces the number of stalls and shops operating.
4. The temporary market will trade on two sites, one of which is invisible from the road. We understand that traders classified as ‘wholesale’ will be on the off-road site and that ‘wholesale’ refers to all the greengrocery stalls. (The term ‘wholesale’ is incorrect: Queen’s Market is not a wholesale market but a retail market where shoppers often buy in bulk, often for community celebrations and because it saves money.)
5. We believe that if the majority of greengrocery stalls are located together on this site and their number reduced it will deal a blow to the core of the market, reducing choice and the vast variety on offer and will endanger the supply of healthy, affordable food.
The threat to shops: Like many markets, the shops and the stalls in Queen’s Market are linked and provide a combined service. With shop rents already rising and the lack of provision for them in the temporary market, the plans directly threaten the existing network of 49 shops and 18 shop kiosks. We believe this threat to local small and medium enterprises is inexcusable and against all policy directives for economic development.
Affordable housing: It is acknowledged that the quota of affordable and socially rented housing (16%) falls far short of requirements in spite of Newham’s high level of overcrowding and housing need. We would also like to point out the proposed demolition of 6 social rented houses on Tolpuddle Avenue, resulting in the provision of 27 not 33 new social rented homes in a total of 350 units. The development continues the familiar over-provision of small 1-bed and 2-bedunits – 89% of the total! This will not foster a long-term, balanced community and such developments already lie empty across East London.
Design of the development: The 31-storey tower and two 15-storey tower blocks are higher than anything nearby and the tower is taller so far than anything in Newham. Yet Upton Park is alow-rise residential area of family housing in Victorian and Georgian streets. With its overbearing scale the design returns to 1960’s-style models of housing and we do not consider it will improve prospects for the area, as claimed. Rather, it will bring familiar problems with it. We feel the overall architectural language is contrary to the creation of high-quality permeable space. Unlike 1960’s blocks these towers do not have open spaces at their core, at ground level, but are hard up against a local high street and dense residential streets. The featureless buildings will change, dominate and overshadow the townscape and neighbourhood. We agree with CABE’s criticisms of the ‘bulky and overbearing’ appearance. The architecture in no way celebrates the character, tradition and ethnicity of the market and does not create a feeling of community and ownership around the site. The historic market is buried inside the development, changing its status as the area’s key destination. The block has no identification as a traditional London street market or ‘market hall’ as described. We strongly disagree that the 31-storey tower is an appropriate ‘landmark for the market’. NB We agree that the design and appearance of the current market should certainly be improved in this regard.
Open space and active play space: This scheme does not have nearly enough adequate play space for children or a consideration of their needs in the area. ‘Active’ play space is needed for the projected number of children of all ages, rather than open areas to loiter in. Elevated landscaped areas have been put on the roof of the market at third floor level, surrounded by the very large-scale towers, with very small pockets of designated play space. The play area falls within walkways of the users and playing equipment is not indicated. The Council’s report confirms wind funelling effects and the potential difficulty of rooting large trees (protection from wind) on the third floor roof. The public space created at ground level around the market is meagre and leaves room for dead areas or ‘negative spaces’ that could encourage anti-social behaviour when the market is closed. There are currently four trees, a bike parking area and outdoor communal seating area outside the elderly people’s housing block Hamara Ghar. This small yet much used ‘civic’ space and trees will disappear, redesignated for temporary stalls. Its accessibility is important for the residents of the old people’s home: walking up large ramps to greenery at third floor level is inappropriate and inconsiderate to the existing users. We see that nearby Priory Park is meant to provide the green space for the development. The small park is already well used locally and is no substitute for direct access to green space and civic space for the 1000+ new residents of the high density development.
CO2 emissions and traffic: As the GLA report states, the scheme does not go far enough with responsible ‘green’design. It also unaccountably doubles car parking space, from 150 to 308 cars, which will add to Green Street’s congestion and pollution. This will not make the area a more pleasant place to live. The development does not alleviate Green Street of the traffic problems which continue to make shoppers stay away during peak shopping times of the week.
Section 106 and benefits to Newham:‘Regeneration benefits’ have driven the Council to approve the scheme, but regeneration means different things to different people. We fear that the local community is at risk of being priced out of this urban regeneration project. Newham Council has accepted St Modwen’s claim that it cannot afford to pay the required S106 contributions or provide sufficient affordable housing (its total contributions towards health care and education would be £100,000). However, we do not believe that the developer’s financial interests should come before those of the already disadvantaged local community, especially when the scheme itself would have so many negative impacts on health, economy and wellbeing. If the developers cannot build a beneficial scheme which also incorporates sufficient financial contributions then it mustbe unsustainable and should be completely re-thought.
Conclusion: Mr Johnson, we ask that you use your powers to refuse this planning permission, in support of the local community in Upton Park and all those who use and benefit from the unique Queen’s Market. We believe there is ample evidence that this scheme is not the right solution to improving the fortunes of the area for everyone. You would create the opportunity for a widely-supported, viable and beneficial improvement scheme and remove the present uncertainty about the future of the market, allowing traders get on with their job. We believe this would be in the public interest as well as the right thing to do in this financial climate. You would help to retain the historic Queen’s Market, a key destination in the East End and a necessary part of London and its people’s identity as a whole.
18 & 31 STOREYS HIGH TOWER BLOCKS - St. Modwens planned to demolish Queen's Market, pile on 350+ private (1 & 2 bedroom) flats and turn our bustling traditional London street market into a shopping hall designed to look more like a hospital ward - bland, characterless and devoid of spirit.
'Axis of the Deceitful?' - What was more disturbing was that St. Modwen, Newham Council and the local paper Newham Recorder (described by Private Eye as "Robin Wales's fanzine") failed to mention the 31 storey tower block overshadowing traditional terraced homes in the area. Invariably computer generated images have been conveniently cropped to cut out the heights of buildings.
"Hardly anyone, in fact, seems to support the mayor and his council. Apart from St Modwen." - Paul Kingsnorth, Real England (2008)
Demonstration at St. Modwens Annual General meeting
St. Modwen wrote of its proposed 31 storey tower block as follows: "The tower will serve as an iconic sign-post to Queens Market and the development, and for Newham too." Who are these people trying to kid? This was far from being a market centricscheme.
This was another demonstration of how locals have been sidelined in a "like it or lump it" attitude, with retrospective and seemingly loaded consultations designed to suit the needs of St. Modwen - a company dubbed by locals as "Developers from Hell". (our suggestion for a new TV series!)
Fresh, affordable food matters.
"It is one of the most wierd and wonderful places inthe capital: a dazzling medley of colour, languages, shops, stalls, merchandise and movement. It is a lifeline for the people on low incomes: the things that are sold here, from halibut to haberdashery, are almost unbelievably cheap." - Paul Kingsnorth, Real England (2008)
The People's Market - a feast of food and so much more
"Queen's thrives because most locals still cook for themselves - the market is essential. To them, it represents nothing short of their identity - the very heart and soul of their community."- Carolyn Steel, Values to save for Queen's and country, Building Design, 5/12/2008.
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FoQM's Chair Sasha Laurel and Coordinator Saif Osmani on CAMDEN COMMUNITY RADIO (January 2010):
Besure to take a look at our food links elsewhere in this website. Even better come and discover why Queen's Market was chosen as one of three finalists for the 'Best Food Market' in the BBC Radio Four Food & Farming Awards 2008.
Queen's Market, Upton Park is a thriving and profitable coveredstreet market. Situated in the East End it has been in existence for over acentury and is at the heart of a vibrant community that draws in people fromacross London and beyond. Famed for its affordable and culturally appropriateproduce, it is much more than just a market, it is a living informationexchange and a communal space. Queen's Market is an important centre ofemployment, it also brings in millions of pounds into the local economy.It exudes entrepreneurial spirit, tolerance and good humour. Little wonder thenthat Londoners love it. Sadly, it is now under direct threat due tothe arrogance, neglect and irresponsibility of Newham council.
Queen's Market as London's most ethnically diverse market plays an essential part in the lives of countless communities who make up and enrich our great capital city.
Local people are determined to resist the Sir RobinWales' (Mayor of Newham) scheme to foist the far from saintly St Modwen Properties onto them. St Modwen's developments may be appropriate for some areas, but they are not market specialists and this whole scheme is utterly out of keeping withthe needs of Upton Park and the community that relies on Queen's Market. It is undubitably the case that the St. Modwen scheme will result in rising prices that will disproportionately impact on ethnic minority communities, many of whom are already living below the poverty line. It would appear that there is more than a hint of racism about this disreputable scheme. St Modwen Properties prefer not to listen to reason:
FoQM at AGM: If you are considering signing a development deal with St. Modwen be sure to check the small print. Make sure that you read the 'EssentialInformation' page on this website.
We wish to see London's most ethnically diverse market cherished, promoted and celebrated.
The History of Newham's Biggest Campaign:
The Friends of Queen's Market has been in existence for over seven years and is working to save Queen's Market and wish to see it cherished and promoted. We have a constructive vision of the future of the market, one that sees a full appreciation of its unique character and that makes the most of its potential. Such has been the success of our campaignthat Asda-WalMart have pulled out of the hugely controversial Wales/St Modwen scheme.Yet more remains to be done, not least to ensure that cupidity and stupidity are not allowed to triumph. Our campaign is growing all the time and we are determined to expand it to save Queen's Market and the Queens' pub from the rapacious clutches of property developer - St. Modwen Properties Plc.
From Bognor Regis to Edmonton Green, and Farnborough to Wythenshawe there would appear to be mounting discontent with St Modwen Properties - the self proclaimed regeneration specialists. Be sure to explore the rest of our website to find out more about council skullduggery and things St Modwen would prefer you not to know.
Thus far, Sir Robin Wales (Mayor of Newham) has totally ignored local feelings onthis issue. There is considerable disquiet within the ruling Labour council, but many Labour councillors are frightened to speak out. Newham councillors seem to have gone to ground or maybe they have been told to keep shtum. The three Newham MPs seem largely in different to the concerns raised by local people. Sadly, the attitude taken is invariably one of 'like it or lump it'. In Private Eye (9/1/2009) Newham features in the Rotten Boroughs Awards for 2008 where the borough is described as virtually a one-party state where people dare not criticise the Mayor.
"In Newham, the elected mayor, Robin Wales, is still fighting to turn the successful Queens Market into a developer-sponsored corporate shell." - Andrew Gilligan, Evening Standard (23/10/2008)
When in August 2007 a South Korean Film crew requested permission to film in the market the council denied them permission on the grounds of "political sensitivity". It is quite clear Newham council has much to hide and plenty to feel ashamed of!
POLITICS IN NEWHAM Directly elected 'New Labour' Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, until recently had the support of 59 New Labour councillors. For the early part of our campaign the sole opposition was one Councillor from the CPA. April 2005,written ban issued to all Labour councillors on any discussion of Queen's Market in full council and the whip is always out. Debate is not in any case a feature of full council meetings and those councillors who are unhappy about the regeneration of QM are not prepared to risk de-selection.
Up until May 2006 apart from one CPA opposition councillor who had repeatedly put down motions, only Joseph Ejiofor (Boleyn Ward), had put questions highlighting the damaging impact ofthe multinational giants on retail diversity and small local businesses. All discussion had been closed down at community forum level. The three Newham MPs (all Labour) Lynn Browne, Jim Fitzpatrick and Stephen Timms all support Robin Wales. They refused to listen or take cognizance of the wealth of academic data that highlights the value of the market and steadfastly ignored the fact that it was indubitably the case that had the shabby scheme been pushed through it would have hurt the very communities they claimed to care about. From the outset the Newham Labour councillors and MPs (all Labour) have been ostrich-like in their approach.
The Mayorial and council elections of May 2006. CPA,Green, Conservative, Respect and Lib. Dem. parties were all against regeneration and are represented on the committee of Friends of Queen's Market. They all worked to make Queen's Market a pivotal issue and there are now six opposition councillors (3 for the CPA and 3 for Respect) . It is worth noting that since Sept 2005 three Labour councillors (Mike Law, Sarah Ruiz and Abdul Karim Sheikh BEM) resigned from the Labour Party all citing dissatisfaction with the Sir Robin Wales and his seeming contempt for democracy.
Councillor AbdulKarim Sheikh (Respect) has been unwavering in his support for our campaign and this support is greatly appreciated.
5/6/2008: 3D model of the scheme was finally displayed, but where were the plans?
Well St Modwen have finally allowed a 3D model of their hugely controversial scheme to be seen at Unit 72 in the market. When a member of the public asked to see the full plans they were told firstly to view them on the internet and then were told to they are at the borough Planning Office in Barking Road. They certainly don't seem keen for shoppers and local residents to see their 'labour of love'.
October 2006 saw St Modwen finally get around to revealing the revised plans for the their development. The venue chosen by Newham Council and the developers for the three day exhibition was West Ham United Football Club - not a place frequented by Asian or African women shoppers. Senior council officials and Labour councillors were conspicuous by their absence, all rather strange really as the local community has been told time and time again that this development is going to be a wonderful development for Newham. The scandal surrounding this whole scheme grows by the dayIt now transpires that as well as some 350+ dwellings (the original estimate was146!) are planned and furthermore, the recently refurbished Queens' pub (popular watering-hole with home and away football fans) is to be demolished and will not be replaced. For all the additional colour on the drawings and a few token ethnic motifs, they were certainly light on specifics. Traders were horrified to discover that St Modwen were still unwilling to reveal exact facts and figures, claiming that these still needed to be calculated and negotiated with the Council. It is evident that 'consultation' has been largely bogus anda sham, deliberatley orchestrated to get the answers that the council and its developer friends want to hear. This whole sorry saga resembles the Monty Python 'Spam Sketch', just substitute the word 'St Modwen' for 'Spam' and that is all the people of Newham are ever offered.To date St Modwen and the council have seemed terrified to show local residents the full extent of the plans of their proposed development.
A shameless land grab dressed up in spin - The St Modwen and Newham council spinmeisters have been working overtime to put together the following piece of propaganda. Anyone who knows anything about the history of this grubby scheme will be more than familiar with the tactics employed. A shameful tale of sophistry, semantics and halftruths.
It's a case of heads they win, tails we lose. Be sure to visit the 'New Queens Market' website - not a sign of the controversy, the avalanche of negative press, letters, planning objections ... Marvel at the cropped photographs and the honeyed words. It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. Why are kiosks, pitches and retain units currently being left empty? Some might suspect that Newham council and St Modwen want to create the impression that there is no future other than their scheme.
THE PLEDGE CARDS: Both Anthony Glossop, Chairman of St Modwen, and Tim Seddon, St Modwen Regional Director, London and South East have made much of a double-sided pledge card entitled; Regional proposals for Queens Market Autumn 2006. One side is addressed to the market traders and includes such nonsense as:- "Market rents will be frozen for 5 years from the opeing of the new market." (St Modwen conveniently forgot to mention that this only applies to the stalls, not to the shops and kiosks and that anyway a new charge will be levied in the form of service charge) "Increased footfall throughout the market leading to increased custom and a thriving market for the future." (Hardly a pledge, more an aspiration) It continues in a similar vein. On the other side it is address to the residents of Newham and states amongst other things that; "A transparent and comprehensive consultation will be carried out." (What little consultation that has taken place thus far has been at best opaque, atworse has bordered on choreography and spin) Forsome reason there is no mention of the 150 year lease or the 350 + apartments. The Newham Council and St Modwen logos feature next to these words; "The principle behind these pledges is a fair deal for residents and traders."Messrs Glossop and Seddon are well aware that these pledges have no basis in law and are not worth the paper they are printed on.
FRIENDS OF QUEEN'S MARKET: Campaign group in favour of gradual, non-invasive, reform with co-operative management and any addition to be architect-designed, quality build to contrast with but respect the existing grain of Victorian Railway Station (Upton Park Tube) with cast iron/ glass canopies. and 1960s Brutalist tower block, Hamara Gharand Queens' Public House. FoQM formalised 2004. Represents shoppers and traders. 18 strong committee includes opposition Councillor Alan Craig, (Christian People's Alliance), and supporters of the Green, Respect, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.
As a campaign group we do not exist to tell residents, shoppers or traders what to think. We seek to elucidate the issues and inform debate, so that people are in a better position to get to the real facts and make up their own minds.FOQM cordially invite journalists to visit the market. Feel free to dig on this story. No doubt Sir Robin Wales and St Modwen would rather that you didn't.
SUPPORTERS: See the 'Prominent Supporters' section of this website.
THE CONSUMERS 12,000 PETITION: Signatories say they do not want a supermarket such as Asda, or the market to be moved or sold. Delivered to the Mayor of London, City Hall, 14.10.2005
THE MAYOR'S POSTCARDS: Sir Robin issued a self-adressed, self-portrait postcard which reads: As the first directly-elected Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales makes the decisions that run the Council and improve local services. The buck stops at his desk. He wants to know what you think he can do to make our borough better, please fill in the postcard and return it. FoQM took 225 of these to the market where people filled them in. 224 pleaded with the Mayor not to destroy the street-market, 1 was in favour of an Asda in its place and an indoor Market-in-a-Mall. Many were vehement in their opposition to Asda or indeed anyother supermarket in the area.
The TELCO Citizens Inquiry Results in Dec 2005 of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO) Inquiry involving 5,000 interviews, found only 'deep mistrust' and 'almost no enthusiasm for the scheme'. The panel said they had during the process examined and detected bias in theMori questionnaire. Recommended suspension of signing of agreement so close to local elections.
REGENERATION HISTORY 1998, £I million (largely outside funding) on roof - unfinished, still leaks, no one called to account, bad smell
2000: Feasibility Study by Weatherall quotes council claim of 'severe deterioration' in fabric. Friends of Queen's Market can find no survey to support this claim on which the need for regeneration is predicated. Weatherall Survey finds 3% of general public in favour of a supermarket WeatherallSurvey find 31% in favour of refurbishment / regeneration (little credibility here since these words are opposed in meaning)
2003: Market offered for sale, Estates Gazette with vacant possession of tower-block sheltering elderly Asians.
2004: Sir Robin appoints development partner, St. Modwen who have a reputation for quick-return, top-down instantly forgettable schemes and almost no experience of designing or managing markets. Newham Borough Council release developer's drawings to local press showing all-white shoppers. Following objections from FoQM, drawings are withdrawn and hajab and shalwar kameez super imposed on foreground. figures. St. Modwen themselves described this as a 'bad blunder' but no apology was forthcoming. Less than a third of the population in modern Newham is white.
May 2005: Mayor gives development option approval
July 2005: executive produces costing of £6 million for refurbishment based on Spons Architect and Builders' Price Book, inflated by the inclusion of £300,000 for a filling station long removed and £200,750 for decoration of shop interiors which are the onus of the lessee.
JOB LOSSES: Nick Kay from St. Modwen has told traders that the days of markets are over. However, developers know that by including a market in name they can claim tobe 'preserving' the market smoothing the way towards planning-permission. St Modwen have admitted that rents will have to rise and in addition traders will have to pay a service charge. It is impossible to estimate how many jobs will be lost until the developer has decided which businesses it will compulsorily purchase. One large furniture shop on the block occupies 8 units and supports three families. Mrs Toor's fruit and vegetable business occupies one kiosk and seven pitches and employs four male heads of households. Several Halal meat shops employ each employ upwards of 20 adult males with dependents. The market offers a career for life to anyone who is prepared to start small and work long hours. The majority of shops and stalls are now Asian, African and West Indian, so whatever the damage, immediate and long term it is these communities who will pay the price of the mayor's 'vision'.
CONSULTATION: What little there has been has been showy and bogus. The council reneged on agreement that FoQM should have input into the Mori questionnaire leaving thema s sole suppliers of information to Mori. Mayor has touted results of only one quarter of the poll, the residents group, as though Green Street residents represented the community at large. On-going 'consultation' by Sir Robin is conducted anywhere but the market itself. Photographs of traders whoare bitterly opposed to the scheme, taken by council publicity dept. apparently for use in Newham Magazine, appeared in the market in promotional propaganda. Traders reluctant to sue for fear of being marginalised under newmanagement.
STATUTARY REFERRAL TO THE GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY: If on the final plans the floor-area exceeds 15,000 sq metres, the proposal will be referred. We are lobbying Boris Johnson accordingly.
Queen's Market and the 2012 Olympics:It is worth noting that one of the engines of change in the East End of London hasbeen the drive towards so-called regeneration in readiness for the Olympics.Yet, it is clear that much of this is both ill-conceived and potentially harmful to the communities whose lives it is meant to improve. In Newham the casuistry and bullying antics of the Mayor of Newham has resulted in minimal scrutiny and a lack of robust debate. All of which does not bode well for the much trumpeted Olympic legacy. This matter is further elucidated by the following websites: http://www.agroni.co.ukhttp://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk
If like us you feel strongly about this issue please write to your elected representatives via the following website:-http://www.writetothem.com
"The diversity is remarkable enough, but maybe even more remarkable are the prices -everything is eye-wateringly cheap. Asda's Price Promise would be laughed athere. In an area like this, with so many people living on very low wages, this is not just convenient, it is vital."An extract from Real England - Paul Kingsnorth (Portobello Books, 2008)
Queen's Market is especially valued by women living in London.
Our market is unique in being London's most ethnically diverse street market (This is according to the New Economics Foundation) Why is it that Newham council never refers to the unique status of the market?
Across the country rural and urban communities feel increasingly alienated by the methods employed by some councils and their developer friends. 'Consultation' is a word that is liberally used by central government, local authorities and those who wish to give a veneer of democratic credibility to their actions. It has become increasingly apparent that what is really being engaged in is little more than casuistry, semantics, half truths and downright lies. Sadly, this is particularly true of the planning process. In our recent experience 'consultations' such as they exist are often retrospective, taking place after councils have locked themselves into costly development agreements. Invariably those conducting the so-called consultations are council officials and their proposed development partners, and the presentations that ensue border on choreography, obfuscation and spin. Frequently questionnaires are full of leading and loaded questions. Such cynical actions undermine the integrity of the planning process and certainly erode trust in our elected officials.
We the undersigned call upon both Houses of Parliament to examine this pressing issue and seek to strengthen statutory requirements and safeguards.
Saif Osmani, The Friends of Queen's Market.
Carlos Burgos, Pedro Achata Trust, NW6.
Sue Westbury, The Friends of Coombeswood, Halesowen.
Raul Mancera, El Pueblito Paisa Ltd (Seven Sisters Market).
Caramel Quinn, Fight the Height, Walthamstow.
LaguSukumaran, Tottenham Traders' Association.
We invite you to see what is going on for yourselves.
GREAT NEWS: Queen's Market was one of the three finalists for the category Best Food Market in BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2008. For more details be sure to visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/foodawards2008.shtml
Food and nutrition experts clearly understand the importance of the extraordinary variety of food available at London's most ethnically diverse market. Be warned Newham council and its property developer friends are bound to try and take the credit and use the awards to promote their hated scheme.
Have you visited the People's Market yet?
Locals queue to express their planning objections
On Saturday 24th May 2008 over 150 people queued at Queen's Market to write outtheir objections to the hugely controversial St Modwen plans for the Queen's Market site. Shoppers and local residents expressed disgust and dismay at theunderhand tactics employed by Newham council and the developers. People areincensed that their concerns have been ignored and are horrified by the duplicity and bullying tactics being employed by those intent on driving thisscheme through at all costs
See if you can find out why local councillors and Newham council officials seem tohave gone to ground.
In our opinion community means nothing to St Modwen, now they plan to demolish arecently refurbished popular pub just so they can pile up their profits.
WARNING Sir Robin Wales and St Modwen may not welcome searching questions. Beware the gloss and spin. Dealing with the Mayor of Newham brings to mind a quotation from Shakespeare's play Macbeth - "There's daggers in men's smiles".
Matthew D'Ancona, Editor of TheSpectator has described the FoQM campaign and website as; "The most exciting example of grassroots web politics..."
"Saving the market is not just about money, it's about our culture, and our culture is priceless". - Poet Benjamin Zephaniah on Queen's Market
It now transpires that if St Modwen get their way they intend to build several tower blocks including one that is 31-storeys high on the Queen's Market site,some 350 executive apartments (and rising!) will also further exacerbate the problem of parking. Why the silence from Newham council on this? Why has the Newham Recorder been so timid in its reporting of the Queen's Market story? People have begun to suspect a near symbiotic relationship between the paper and Newham Council. Call Colin 'Nipper' Grainger (the Editor)Tel:- 0208 472 1421and see if you can find out why the paper is so reluctant to give this story greater prominence. Maybe the power of advertising revenue ensures an unwillingness to want to probe or even dare to criticise. Be warned though, by all accounts he becomes very defensive when this issue is raised. Other newspapers most notably the Stratford Guardian have been far morerobust in their coverage of this highly controversial issue. At the close of 2006 the Stratford Guardian ceased publication leaving only two newspapers in Newham, the Newham Recorder and Stratford & Newham Express (a free sheet) - both papers owned by the Archant Group. Both the Newham Recorder and the Stratford & Newham Express have the same editor (Colin Grainger) and operate out of the same office. These two publications have repeatedly misrepresented the Friends of Queen's Market by stating that FOQM "only wants refurbishment" of the market site. Queen's Market is now in real danger thanks to the arrogant and intransigent behaviour of Sir Robin Wales (Mayor of Newham). He is a thrasonical man who in the opinion of many promises mountains, but delivers molehills. Let's hope he's not destined to receive a peerage! 'Regeneration' Newham council-style has already seen the wrecking of Rathbone Market, CanningTown. 'Consultations' are bogus and invariably all local people get offered is a Hobson's choice. No wonder many people don't trust Sir Robin Wales and his spin-meisters, they've heard it all before.
"Newham Council is run by blockheads who want to kill this asset and drive people to turkey twizzlers." - Yasmin Alibhai Brown, Evening Standard (27/4/2005).
Queen's Market offers a world of shopping in one place. The produce on offer is exotic, wholesome and extraordinarily cheap.
The Height of Arrogance Instead of a market centric scheme that is sensitive to the needs of shoppers, tradersand local residents Newham council and its developer friends are swimming against the tide and want to house people in vast tower blocks. What is worse they now seek to legitimise their grubby scheme with retrospective spective consultations and hollow boasts about "exciting architecture" by the self-proclaimed "Regeneration specialists". Yet for all the boasting and bombast both the council and St Modwen seem unusually coy when it comes to the 31 storey tower block.
"In Newham, the elected mayor, Robin Wales, is still fighting to turn the successful Queens Market into a developer-sponsored corporate shell." - Andrew Gilligan, Evening Standard (23/10/2008) 
Matthew D'Ancona, Editor of The Spectator has described the FoQM campaign and website as; "The most exciting example of grassroots web politics..."
