Agenda item

John McHenry, markets development manager presented this item and provided some background information of the North Cross Road market.  John also referred to the recommendations taken at the licensing committee on 6 Jan 2011 as set out below:

 

1.  That the committee resolved to vary the designation of North Cross Road as a licence street to increase the number of pitches from twenty to thirty and include Sunday as a trading day (but the hours to be agreed as per item 2 below)

 

2.  That the committee requested that the officer attends the next available Dulwich Community Council meeting to discuss the following with ward councillors and local residents:

 

·  Discuss the Sunday trading hours; consult on the Saturday trading hours with traders and local residents.

·  Consult on the number of traders allowed on Monday to Thursday with a proposed maximum of 5.

·  Consult on the market location being shifted towards the Lordship Lane end of Northcross Road.

·  Consult on the road closures proposed.

·  Explore the possibility of using some of the street trading revenue to install traffic calming measures on Northcross Road.

·  Reviewing the market every 6 months.

 

3.  The DCC are requested to make recommendations on the above and these   recommendations will be presented at the next licensing committee on 15

  March 2011.

 

John McHenry also mentioned that the consultation process involved sending questionnaires to 2000 local residents and businesses with 78% in favour of extra stalls, 64% in favour of Sunday trading and 76% in favour of extra pitches.

 

The officer responded to questions from Members.

 

The community council heard two deputations. The first deputation was from a spokesperson representing local residents of Northcross Road, Nutfield Road, Archdale Road, Lacon Road, Felbrigg Road, Crystal Palace Road and local shopkeepers and a spokesperson representing the traders of Northcross Road.

 

The spokesperson representing local residents outlined their postion:

 

“We oppose the Council’s plans to open Northcross Road market on Sundays for a number of reasons which include the following:

 

• Local people should enjoy and are entitled to peaceful Sundays.

 

• Parking is difficult on Saturdays.  Sunday trading would put pressure on parking on Sundays too.

 

• The market is a noise nuisance for residents adjacent to Northcross Road.  One weekend day is acceptable within reasonable hours.  Disturbance on both days of the weekend is not.

 

 

• Litter and health, rubbish including food waste is not frequently cleared in Northcross Road until late on Saturday.  Sunday trading would exacerbate this problem.

 

• Sunday trading could increase competition for local shops and could rob shopkeepers of their day off with little or no financial pay back.

 

• Strength of local feeling: The Council’s consultation on Sunday trading received 339 responses of which 64%were apparently in favour of Sunday trading – 217 people.  The deputation was in receipt of a petition signed by local residents and shopkeepers opposing Sunday trading.

 

The spokesperson representing local traders outlined:

 

• The majority of traders do welcome the proposal for additional pitches.

 

• Preference is to improve the Saturday market rather than consider trading on Sunday.

 

• Concerns expressed involving duplication in that the additional traders could be selling the same products as the existing traders.

 

• Would like to see pitches clearly marked out so they can be easily identifiable to traders and strongly favours designated pitches.

 

• Open market stalls at later hours as opposed to getting up at the crack of dawn.

 

• Would like to the existing market days to be vibrant for the local community.

 

• Weekday trading does not always work and is not viable.

 

Both deputations responded to questions from Members.

 

There were questions and general views taken from local residents many echoing that officers had not consulted those residents within the vicinity of the market, the financial viability of the market and that Sunday trading should not be totally ruled out in the future.  Many felt that more focus should be given on Saturday trading.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Dulwich Community Council requests:

 

1.  That there be no market trading on a Sunday.

 

2.  That the number of traders allowed during Monday until Thursday should be a proposed maximum of 10 and that a 9am start is applicable to Saturday trading only.

 

3.  That further recommendations and options be drawn up by officers to review the current operation of the market.

 

4.  That consideration should be given on the closure of roads on a Saturday and retain the southside where the electric sockets are located and increase the number of stalls along Lordship Lane.  Also look for an experimental road closure at Lordship Lane for a fixed period of 18 months, with a review after 6 months in operation.

 

5.  Members requested that detailed proposals of the market should be referred  back to this community council for consideration and that the presentation with regard to this be given in visual form which should include the marked out pitches.

 

6.  That the above recommendations be referred to the licensing committee.  In addition that the immediate residents be consulted.