Councl Holds Public meeting over Market Plans
Your chance to quiz council leader and proposed developer
Traders at Shepherd's Bush Market and local people are invited to attend a public meeting on December 1 to discuss the planning policy for the market and surrounding area.
The meeting will take place at 6.30pm at the old Shepherd's Bush Library in Uxbridge Road and will be attended by the Council Leader Stephen Greenhalgh and proposed developer Orion Shepherd's Bush Ltd.
Orion Shepherd's Bush Ltd, or OSBL is also holding its own online consultation over the plan, which is claims will extend and improve the existing market and make it safer, more accessible and appealing to everyone at its website, Orion Shepherd's Bush.
Controversy has surrounded the plan to regenerate the market and surrounding area which was given the go ahead last month, despite the misgivings of market traders.
Last week, Hammersmith and Fulham Council claimed some traders supported the plans, but admitted not everyone agreed.
James Horada, Chair of the Shepherds Bush Market Traders Association, commented: "OSBL did an initial presentation to traders last week and there were a couple of concerns that have left us worried.
" Orion spoke about creating a third entrance to the market from Goldhawk Road and we found this particularly upsetting as we have made it clear to them in the past that we think this would divert people away from businesses that are currently in the market.
"Orion also failed to give us any real information about exactly what kind of regeneration they have planned for the market. The current infrastructure of the market does need improving and they were very vague about this.
"We have hoped that regenerating the market would lead to new parking and loading bays within the complex itself but Orion did not appear to be in favour of that.”
OSBL responded by saying that the ideas presented are initial concepts only and that specific initiatives and designs will be developed working closely with traders and local people over the six months of masterplan development and consultation that lies ahead.
Orion Shepherds Bush Limited Chairman, Richard Olsen, said: "We’d like people to understand that our approach is to involve local people from the beginning of our design process, not present them with finished plans just before we submit a planning application. Information is not being hidden nor is it intentionally unclear and we are certain that people would prefer to be involved in helping us to shape up the plans rather than being left out of this process.
"At the current time, we are beginning to make plans for the improvement and expansion of Shepherds Bush market. This design process is likely to take between 4 and 6 months and we will work with local people in an open and transparent way, running public consultation and engagement activities throughout the design development process. We are very much looking forward to sharing our thinking with residents and businesses and to involving them in the development of a detailed masterplan."
OSBL says it will be working very closely with market traders, businesses, residents and visitors to come up with a detailed masterplan for the site, with a planning application likely to be submitted to the council in 2011.
November 29, 2010
