Westminster council to find new sites for Marylebone Farmers' Market (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

Westminster council to find new sites for Marylebone Farmers' Market

October 12, 2008 10:33 PM

Let's keep the farmers' market exactly where it is

Westminster council has set up a project group to find locations to which the Marylebone Farmers' Market could be moved, it has been revealed.

The revelation appears in a report submitted to a committee, which meets on Tuesday [14th October] to agree what the council's preferences should be for Moxon Street car park, home of the market.

Councillors will be asked at the meeting to recommend that the draft planning brief for the site be approved. This will set the rules that will govern future development of the area. The brief does emphasise the importance of the market to local people, but also welcomes plans to move it elsewhere.

Residents and market regulars will be surprised that this group is being set up and planning rules are set to welcome developments that could move the market despite the fact that, according to the report, "the majority of respondents" to a recent council consultation on the future of the site "expressed a clear preference for the market to remain on the existing site".

The report on the consultation's findings also states that "the overwhelming desire of the community is to retain the market on the existing site". Additionally, the 631-signature petition submitted by the local Liberal Democrats called specifically for the market to remain on its current site, just behind Marylebone High Street.

Commenting, local Liberal Democrat Sophie Service said, "The council asked local people what they wanted and local people told them. It is crystal clear that residents want the farmers' market to remain, and to do so on its current site.

"How much time will be wasted by council staff investigating new locations for the market when, as the council's own report admits, that is not what residents want?"