4:00pm Saturday 26th November 2005
By David Williams
NEW discussions on the proposed redevelopment of Queens Market have left opponents frustrated.
Members of the Friends of Queens Market and the Queens Market Traders Association say no answers are being given about how the market will be run if the redevelopment takes place.
The comments come after a meeting of the Green Street Community Forum at West Ham Football Club.
The development will see the market rehoused alongside an Asda supermarket in a new building.
Newham Council deputy chief executive Chris Wood told the meeting that the "point of no return" had not yet been reached.
Manish Patel, chairman of Queens Market Traders Association, says stallholders are still in the dark over how much their pitches will cost to rent, and how much developer St Modwen will be charging for services such as waste disposal.
Mr Patel says his group has refused to meet Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales until it is given full answers on those issues.
He said: "We are angry. We feel we are just waiting for them to decide. Ninety-nine per cent of the community are saying no to this."
St Modwen's development director Nick Kay said there had been a campaign of disinformation from opponents of the scheme, with many local residents under the impression that the proposals were to replace the market with an Asda.
He said most people were in fact in favour of redevelopment, and said: "Most people I meet think Queens Market is mucky and they look forward to seeing it in a better environment."
However Cllr Alan Craig said nobody at last week's meeting spoke in favour of the St Modwen scheme.
Mr Kay countered that the meeting had been hijacked by protesters and that most traders were interested in taking their business forward. He said negotiations had been taking place at monthly meetings and final prices for pitch rents and service charges would be announced soon.
He added that it was in St Modwen's interests to keep the market thriving, as the company needed the income of rent from stallholders and shopkeepers to stay in profit.
He argued that Asda was no threat to the market, which he said was cheaper and more able to deal with changing fashions and niche demand.
A spokeswoman for Newham Council said: "We have informed the traders that the market pitch fees will be fixed for several years and that the rents for the shops will be in line with the prevailing open market rents.
"Service charges have not been determined but they will need to reflect the costs of maintaining a quality environment."
She said the Mayor had been regularly meeting traders and shoppers, and would be visiting residents in early December."
Proposals for an alternative scheme of refurbishment will be revealed at a public meeting starting at 6.30pm on Tuesday at Katherine Road Community Centre, Forest Gate.
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