Queen's Crescent Market

Queen's Crescent Market
Location Kentish Town, Camden, Greater London
Coordinates 51°32′56″N 0°09′12″W / 51.5488°N 0.1534°W / 51.5488; -0.1534Coordinates: 51°32′56″N 0°09′12″W / 51.5488°N 0.1534°W / 51.5488; -0.1534
Address Queen's Crescent
Management Camden London Borough Council
Owner Camden London Borough Council
Environment Outdoor
Goods sold General goods
Days normally open Thursday, Saturday
Number of tenants 90+
Website Via Camden Council?

Queen's Crescent Market is one of London's oldest street markets, and is still held every Thursday and Saturday on Queen's Crescent in Kentish Town, Camden. The market sells food, discounted clothing and a wide variety of household products. In 2013 it was reported to have capacity for more than 90 stalls.[1] The Camden Council database reported 77 sites (last checked December 2011).[2]

Many traders run stalls that have been passed from generation to generation. This is in contrast to the much more recent and considerably more famous Camden markets nearby, which primarily attract tourists and those from other parts of London (Inverness Street Market was a traditional produce market in Camden Town for a century, but in 2013 the last produce stall closed, leaving only tourist stalls like the other Camden markets[3][4]). Aesthetically Queen's Crescent market is a mixture, with pretty plain white houses sitting side by side with large council estates, some of which sit in beautifully landscaped grounds.

The market had been run by Camden Council until 2013, when it was transferred to Queen's Crescent Community Association (QCCA), a not-for-profit charity.[5] In 2015 there were disagreements over the cost of rubbish removal, cleaning and repairs, leaving the QCCA with what it called impossible bills; after negotiations collapsed, the QCCA handed back the market's management to the council.

As of the end of 2015 the future of the market was in doubt,[6] with comments that the council had "condemned Queen's Crescent Market to a lingering death".[7] Traders, and customers, were abandoning the market.

In May 2016 the market continued, but was much reduced, with traders reduced from 50 a few years earlier to 22. The decline has been blamed on higher charges by the council.[8]

The Greater London Authority has a Good Growth Fund which provides grants that have to be spent on infrastructure schemes by 2021.[9] Camden Council were awarded £1.1 million in 2018 to reinvigorate Queen's Crescent, including the market, with high street improvement works.[10] The award requires that local people must be involved in the regeneration plans. Members of Reclaim Queen’s Crescent, a group campaigning to improve the market and other neighbourhood services said "there is some wariness about how much we will be listened to after our experience with the market”.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Queens Crescent Market". National Market Traders Federation. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Queens Crescent Market". Cindex - Services and organisations in Camden. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Crescent Market details and contacts.
  3. ↑ "Camden's oldest market in Inverness Street 'could go under'". Camden New Journal. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Fruit & veg to be missed". Camden New Journal. 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. ↑ RICHARD OSLEY (27 August 2015). "Future of Queen's Crescent Market in doubt as managers quit". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Camden Council Web site, Haverstock and Gospel Oak Area Action Group Meeting on Queen’s Crescent Market, with attendance of Camden councillors. "Notes of meeting held on 17 December 2016, 7pm to 8pm" (error, date was 17 December 2015).
  7. ↑ JAMES WAITE (Chair, Gospel Oak Business Group), TOM YOUNG, VAL STEVENSON, and CHRIS FAGG (31 December 2015). "Letter from management of the Gospel Oak Business Group: Volunteers are still working hard to keep Queen's Crescent Market alive". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  8. ↑ JOHN GULLIVER (5 May 2016). "Mick, the heart of the market". Camden NewJournal. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  9. ↑ "Good Growth Fund: supporting regeneration in London". Mayor of London and London Assembly. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Mayor awards £24m for local communities to play a role in regeneration". Mayor of London and London Assembly. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. ↑ Dan Carrier (16 March 2018). "Could £1 million windfall breathe new life into Queen's Crescent Market?". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
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