A FEW years ago a vigorous campaign, in which I played a part, was mounted to save Greenwich Market. Though the battle is not definitively won, the new plans are better than the old ones, and the market continues to thrive.
Across the street, however, there is a market that has suffered a very different fate. Last Sunday, the Greenwich Village Market, which sprawls across a big site at the junction with Stockwell Street and Greenwich High Road, had a desolate air. Only about half the space was filled. Many of the lockups which used to disgorge intriguing piles of tat every Sunday were, well, locked up. This is a market that is about to die.
Almost without anyone noticing, something that has been a cornerstone of Greenwich’s weekends for the last twenty years has been destroyed. The market will close for ever on 22 March, to make way for a much-needed…er… much-needed patch of derelict wasteland.
It was going to be one of those hideous rabbit-hutch “housing and retail” developments – but as Greenwich.co.uk reported in January, the recession has put paid to that. The developers have pulled out. Now there is talk of Greenwich University buying the land to build an architecture school, though no deal yet appears to have been done.
I am very saddened about the Village Market’s demise. It was the best of our three weekend markets – cheaper, bigger and more random than the slightly chi-chi, scented candle stalls of Greenwich Market. It had the fleamarket atmosphere that so many markets have lost.
The desk I’m writing this piece on was bought secondhand from the Village Market. What could be greener than recycled furniture? A lot of the books in the shelves in front of me came from there, too. So did some of my clothes. Greenwich’s weekend markets are a major draw to the area – but the closure of the VM, by far the largest one, will reduce the size of the market area by more than half.
But more than sadness, I feel anger at the utter madness of throwing the stalls off now. Even if the university does indeed buy the land, even if it does have the money to build an architecture school, there is no planning permission for such a project. There isn’t even, as far as I can tell, a project design. It will be literally years before it gets through the design and planning process.
Why on earth not allow the Village Market to continue until at least the fate of the site is decided and the builders move in? Wouldn’t that be preferable to a gaping hole right in the heart of Greenwich for most of the next decade?
Part of the reason, it’s said, is that they need somewhere to put the stalls from Greenwich Market while that is redeveloped (assuming it ever happens – recession again.) But those stalls occupy a fraction of the space that the Village Market has. There ought to be plenty of room for them, even if most of the Village Market traders stay.
The Village Market is something that generates wealth, employment, character, interest, and even the odd bargain. It is being torn up for no reason that I can see, and yet another thing that makes Greenwich special is being lost for ever. What is the problem with the people who run this place? Why do they so often get it wrong?
Oh – I had no idea about the ‘other’ market closing! I agree about it being the best in Greenwich – I do love Greenwich market proper but the Village Market is so much more a ‘proper’ market. What can we do to help keep it open?
The market operators don’t want to keep it running, and the council permission to operate as a market is about to run out. It’s all very sad- there was a great array of traders there, and now they’re scattered to many other locations around London.
I am shocked to see that a market which is part of the fabric of Greenwich is closing. This seems needless, especially if there is simply nothing to replace it and it is going to be left derelict. As Andrew has written, I have bought some wonderful and unexpected items from the market and my kids just love the bric-a-brac which is all around.
If the Council’s Permission to as a market is about to run out can this not be appealed and extended at least until a new owner of the site is finalised and plans drawn up and a new use agreed (presumably after a consultation period). There seems no point in a derelict site. As well as us locals we have to think of the impact on visitors to Greenwich – will we still be able to say Greenwich is famous for its markets etc. One already had to make way for the DLR etc a few years ago.
Simon
your reminder about that dlr site says it all. It used to be a great little busy rat-run of diversity fronted by the eel and pie shop etc. What do we have now?…mobile phone shops, superdrug, clinton cards. m&s, etc barely mitigated by the book shop. In short absolutely nothing to differentiate Greenwich from any other town centre anywhere. A cold corporate concrete lump (and don’t get me started on the Weatherspoons….).
I’m guessing that the council must take the view that the Museum/park etc will draw visitors to the area regardless of how much they botch-up the town centre which might explain their complete lack of empathy for the place.
Hi Guys, I am so sad to see that the market has closed, does anyone know if the shop that used to sell retro clothes has relocated ? it had a pink frontage.
I’d love to know where any of the traders went – particularly those selling vintage furniture and clothing. It’s a real shame the market closed and that the traders weren’t offered an alternative space to operate from.