Chiswick (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Chiswick Flower Market has been denied access to park vendor vans in Bond Street car park, sparking concerns over logistics and weekend trading disruptions.
The directors of Flower Market were questioned by Hounslow‘s licensing panel on the extension of their trading license.
The organizers of the well-liked monthly market will face logistical challenges as Chiswick Flower Market no longer has the permission to park its vans in the park.
In order to support the market’s initial establishment in 2020, Council Leader Steve Curran agreed that Hounslow Highways should close the parking lot next to M&S on Chiswick Common Road starting at midnight on the night before the flower market and on the first Sunday of every month.
This would allow their traders to use the space exclusively on market mornings.
Flower Market director Ollie Saunders informed a meeting of Hounslow’s licensing panel on Tuesday that Chiswick Flower Market had received an email a week ago canceling the arrangement.
“No warning, no consultation,” he said, “we just received an email out of the blue.”
As a result, the market will need to locate alternative parking spaces for the vendors in Chiswick.
They get there at around seven in the morning, and even if they can fill the 16 spots in the Bond Street parking lot on a first-come, first-served basis, they won’t be able to block parking any more, so seven vans will have to find parking somewhere.
The flower market was requesting a renewal of its license. Every six months, the Antiques and Vintage, Cheese, and Food St. markets—the four markets that use Old Market Place on Sundays—must reapply for their licenses. They must appear to the Licensing Panel and make their case if there is even one objection.
Jackie Elton of the Mid Chiswick Residents Association was the only person who objected at last night’s meeting.
She claimed that the markets, particularly the flower market, had made it harder for locals to park their cars and that if they did so in the morning, they would not know if they would be able to do so again until the end of the day.
“We’re under stress because we’re by the tube station and the common and we’re at the centre of the shopping area. Since the markets, it has been busier,” she told the panel. “Sunday used to be a quiet day, but those days are over.”
She informed the council members that she was constantly receiving complaints on their WhatsApp group.
Additionally, Cllr. Joanna Biddolph was present to voice several “concerns” regarding the market. She said that there was “a significant loss of parking space in central Chiswick on market Sundays,” indicating that parking in Chiswick on market days was a difficulty.
‘No market traders should be allowed to park on any road near the centre including specifically not in the Bond Street/Chiswick Common Road car park, on Turnham Green Terrace, Devonshire Road, any nearby residential roads and other residential roads in Chiswick Gunnersbury ward,’ she wrote in her submission to the panel.
She expressed concern that businesses located outside of Chiswick High Road’s center would lose out on the market’s foot traffic and called for Old Market Place to close on Saturday night so that the market could be moved from midnight to 1am in order to boost the nighttime economy.
The people who run Chiswick Flower Market are volunteers. In order to prevent automobiles from becoming stuck in the market area and creating issues in the morning, Ollie Saunders described how he went along on Saturday nights at around 11 p.m.
She was careful to clarify that she did not “object” to the market, but if the panel accepts Biddolph’s recommendations to relocate the traders’ parking away from the center and eventually close Old Market Place, it will be more challenging for the flower market team to run the market.
In order to fully support the meeting, two additional Chiswick council members attended. According to Cllr. Ron Mushiso, he has been a part of the flower market team since its beginning. During COVID, he was one of the marshals tasked with counting the number of people who visited the market. He was able to verify that over 6,000 people were there, which increased business for Chiswick’s cafes, restaurants, and pubs.
“When I hear another councillor complain about the use of Bond St car park, I can’t get my head around that, as that’s the only thing which will help Jackie with people not parking in her street,” he said.
Despite representing the same ward as Cllr. Biddolph, he likewise informed the meeting that he had not personally heard any complaints regarding the market.
“I do not recognise the complaints that Joanna Biddolph mentioned. Usually they come to all of us by email and I haven’t had any.”
Cllr. Jack Emsley stated that he frequently attended the market and witnessed its positive impact on Chiswick’s businesses and citizens.
“The markets have become a crucial part of Chiswick’s character,” he told the meeting. Chiswick has developed “a unique identity as a market town within London.”
A third councillor, Gerald Macgregor, sent his support but was not at the meeting.
Jack said: “It says something that three ward councillors are in favour and they have received 66 submissions from the public supporting the licence renewal.”
The flower market had “a solid history of compliance” over the five years it had been running.
“This is a question of what kind of place we want Chiswick to be,” he said.
There were 66 people who had written in to the licensing panel supporting the market. This was typical of the comments they made:
‘I am a Chiswick / Hounslow resident. The markets every weekend are a highlight for our family. It’s nice to walk by, listen to the buzz, sometimes music, enjoy delicious treats, see people, and buy flowers. It’s an amazing addition to the community. Please let them stay.’
Another wrote:
‘Really disappointed to hear you are making the Chiswick Markets start from scratch with having to reapply for a licence. The markets are fantastic and bring such amazing buzz to the area. I love the markets. MASSIVE support for them – do not remove their licences.’
Questions concerning the market’s operations were addressed by Jeremy Day, a member of the management team, as well as the market’s directors, Ollie Saunders, Kathleen Mitra, and Steve Nutt.
Gabriella Giles, a councillor from Chiswick, asked them about everything, including how many stalls they had, how many people came, why they didn’t include any photos in their submission, and what time traders arrived in the morning. (“We weren’t requested to provide any.”
She inquired as to whether they used a waste management business and regarding food cleanliness for the two stands selling cakes and crepes. “No, since at the end of the day, there isn’t much waste. We clean up after ourselves once the traders have taken their rubbish with them.
The purpose of the flower market, according to Ollie Saunders, was to revitalize Chiswick. It was run entirely by volunteers who lived in Chiswick. A Community Interest Company was established, and any excess funds were reinvested in the High Road.
He claimed that the market had developed into a gathering spot where individuals could visit friends in a friendly, secure, and healthful setting and that the foot traffic it brought benefited companies, eateries, and cafes.
He claimed that they had a solid reputation for operating a safe market and the backing of the local populace.
Additionally, he informed the panel that since the flower market had not received any complaints, he did not recognize the problems that Cllr. Biddolph had stated.
They allowed anyone to get in touch with them. either at the market headquarters booth on market days or via their website, chiswickflowermarket.com, Kathleen Mitra added.
Cllr Giles, Cllr Madeeha Asim, and Cllr Rasheed Bhatti, the chairman of the licensing panel, will now determine whether to renew the flower market’s license and, if so, whether to impose any additional conditions. They promised to inform the directors of their choice within five business days.
How will the loss of parking affect the Chiswick flower market’s operation?
Transporting goods to the market stalls will become more difficult and time-consuming as traders will need to locate other parking or unloading locations farther away.
Setting up and taking down stalls could take longer without easy parking, which could interfere with the market’s ability to function smoothly on busy market days.
If traders must use more vehicles, employ help, or pay for parking elsewhere, they may have to deal with increased expenses or logistical difficulties.
As recommended in council documents, the market organizers must create a written and legally binding parking plan for traders’ cars in order to abide by local laws and prevent occupying public parking spots.