EVICTED traders from West London’s famous Portobello Market are being urged to move east and set up stalls in Islington.
A total of 150 antiques dealers were ejected from Portobello Market when developer Warren Todd closed their stalls to make room for a chain store, but David Twydell, the newly appointed head of The Chapel Market Traders’ Association, has promised to make room for the expelled traders.
“My priority is getting as many new stalls set up on the street as possible. We’ve got the space, so why not set up here? Chapel Market could be the new Portobello. Our location is fantastic and easily accessible for people all over London. We’re only 10 minutes’ walk from King’s Cross – you could even get here from Paris in a couple of hours!”
Twydell assured stallholders that they would be safe from further difficulties. “We have an ancient charter that protects our market from rivals and all other modern developments. These chains couldn’t move in here because legally they wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. This is one of the oldest markets around and has stood the test of time for a reason.”
The Portobello Market closures have led Kensington and Chelsea Council to call for a change in planning laws to stop developers getting rid of stalls without permission.
The call has been backed by Islington Council, which lost a lengthy legal battle against a developer seeking to transform antiques stalls at The Mall in Camden Passage into an exclusive clothes store favoured by the likes of Prince Harry.
Jack Wills, a clothes chain that boasts of being a “fabulously British” university outfitter, ousted around 40 antiques and collectables traders last summer and removed the original ‘Mall’ signs from the Grade II listed building to replace them with their own logos.
Terry Stacy, leader of Islington Council, who called the development “a blatant act of building vandalism”, said: “Islington Council fought a long battle to try and protect the independent shops in The Mall in Camden Passage.
“We would welcome a change in the law to protect small shops and market stall holders against big chain stores coming in and taking over.”
Ronke Lawal, chief executive of Islington Chamber of Commerce, believes closer management by councils could prevent further market stall closures.
“At the moment the markets here are still doing well,” he said. “They are really popular. I think you have to maintain the quality of traders and it is about managing them.
“It happens in areas like Spitalfields; you find that unless the town centre managers control and maintain the diversity among traders you get a lot of the same kind of stalls. That can affect trade for the whole market.”
