Join Save Ridley Road campaigners public celebrations this Saturday

This Saturday 30th March the Save Ridley Road campaign have organised  an afternoon of public  celebration and fundraising in Gillett Square which will feature the legendary reggae, ska and jazz saxophonist Ray Carless with friends as well as DJs,  poets and spoken word artists.

  

The event kicks off from  noon with speakers from the Ridley Road Shopping Village Traders Association and from Up the Elephant and Save Britannia Leisure Centre campaigners. Ray Carless will play at 1pm. The poets and spoken word artists performing from 2pm will include Paula Varjack, Tim Wells, Sam Berkson  and Ed Luker. There will be DJs playing between acts throughout the afternoon.   

Also part of the event will be craft stalls,  the London Renters Union Stall and hot food from Food Not Bombs 

The event comes after a  successful 5 month battle to protect the traders of the Ridley Road Shopping Village covered market. Last October they were given just 14 days to leave when the landlord threatened to lock them out. The traders are still there but now with tenancy contracts, and guarantees of compensation and a right to return, if the landlord gets planning permission and redevelops the building. But the battle is not over yet.

The new landlord, the off-shore company Larochette Real Estate Inc. based in the Virgin Islands, has now put in an amended planning application to re-develop the Shopping Village building. If approved by the Council its scheme will get rid of 40 of the existing 60 covered market stalls, it will get rid of 90% of the existing storage facilities which the street market and covered market traders rely on, it will get rid of the studios of 60 artists and replace them with "high standard commercial accommodation" and  it will develop 5 "very high standard" private luxury flats. 

You can see the details here of the planning application, under Hackney's reference 2017/2897. If it helps with your objections you can see ours here. 
You can object to the planning application by email here. Do it now - numbers count!   

Traditional markets like Ridley Road are a vital part of our local and national economy but so many have been regenerated out of existence. Here is what the new Economic Foundation learned from their study of Newham's Queens Market : 
"In 2008 we found that items at the market were on average 53% cheaper than at a local supermarket, and that 80% of customers said that the market sold goods that were not available elsewhere. At that time Queens Market generated over £13 million for the local economy, and delivered twice as many jobs per square metre as a big supermarket, with 308 of the 581 people working at the market living in the immediate local area. The market provided a space where entrepreneurs were nurtured, particularly black and minority ethnic entrepreneurs who continue to face particular barriers when starting businesses. 10 years on, this market is still serving its local community but remains under threat." New Economics Foundation  which is currently researching the community value of traditional street markets 

Don't let Ridley Road market be picked over by developers whose main concern is their financial return and not its community value. Support the Save Ridley Road campaign. Object to the planning application to redevelop the Shopping Village. Shop local!