Northcross Road - Market traders (Lounged)

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

Southwark Council have recently invited traders to apply for market pitches via the local media.

My question is that is it a good idea to encourage a larger market at the expence of local shops and residents not being able to park. Or is this just the start of pedestrianisation

The Lordship Lane/Northcross Road junction is a nightmare to pedestrians and motorists alike, are they looking to profit against safety?

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[amyw]

I dont mind the market expanding, i think what you gain from a market is greater than what you lose in parking etc.

The pedestrian crossing by budgens / iceland creates natural gaps in traffic for cars to get out too. As a driver i dont find it any worse than on other days - its easy enough to avoid it altogether and go up or down a block.

am i missing what the problem is?

[Nero]

I don't mind more stalls, but I don't want any more of the same stuff. I used to love the word 'knick-knack', but now I don't care for it due to how much of the stuff is available in SE22.

To tell the truth, the market doesn't really do it for me anymore. I used to think 'aw, innit nice', but now I find it a bit dull and wanting. It's good that it's there, but that's about it.

[Spangles30]

I agree with you Nero.

Also the parking situation in ED is absolutely fine - at least it is free (for now) unlike most parts of London.

It's a good idea to pedestrianise N.cross Rd!!

[dulmum]

I live on Nutfield Road and the parking is normally tricky on a Saturday but it is still much better than most of London and is free. I recognise that expanding the market will make the parking situation worse, but I reckon this would be out-weighed by a considerable expansion of the market which would make it a better, more lively place to live.

I do like strolling out of a Saturday morning and seeing the good folk of East Dulwich in all their unshaven be-buggied glory indulging in some of the more poncy pleasures of life. However, at the moment the market is stagnating and there needs to be some external trigger that will give it the critical mass it needs. It needs more stalls to get more people in, which will in turn drive more and better stalls - I think the trigger for this could be pedestrianisation.

I think it would greatly enhance the place if we had a pedistrianised, vibrant, 'destination' market in ED along the lines of a Columbia Road, which in turn brings up the quality of surrounding shops/pubs etc...

[Nero]

I don't think there should be a permanent pedestrianisation. The present market on Friday and Saturday does not warrant such an undertaking. A Saturday-only ban on through traffic between, say, 9 and 5 might work.

[Louisa]

I would agree with the expansion of the market, but only if it includes some decent fruit and veg stalls, dodgy dvd outlet and somewhere selling cheap clothing. Otherwise whats the bloody point.

Louisa.

[Asset]

what you mean like East st?

[????]

I think the market adds to the area, the parking, nor indeed, the 'junction with Lordship Lane' are hardly a 'nightmare'...pedestrianise it!!!!!!..haven't laughed so much in years...do people live in a parrallell SE22 to me, it seems like it to me. It's hardly Colombia Road is it FFS!!!

[Louisa]

Portobello RD market, it aint, but i'd like to see it succeed once again, but please can it be a little more appealing to everyone locally, and not just people who like buying nick naks. East Street market and Lewisham market may well seem dire to some people in this area, but they are brilliant at Christmas and sell high quality fruit and veg.

Louisa.

[honk]

It needs more veg stalls / fish stalls / meat stalls. These are surely the 'bread and butter' of a successful market and encourage repeat custom and make it a 'destination'.

Stalls selling Paul Frank babygrows are null - there's already about 50 'My Wife's Bored' -type shops on Northwold Road catering for that kind of thing.

I'm all for closing the road - Portobello manages it, I'm sure East Dulwich can. Driving to a local market defeats the object anyway.

[????]

LOL

*shakes head in mirth and wonders what people are on

[dulmum]

????, I don't see why it takes such a leap of imagianition to think that this could be a busy and flourishing market in a few years given the right kind of stalls and the right kind of promotion by the council. Seven or eight years ago when Borough consisted of a couple of stalls, and a good night out in ED consisted of a few pints in the Foresters followed by afters behind Kebab & Wine, it would have been difficult to imagine Borough becoming one of the biggest attractions in London or ED becoming a 'destination' night out for half of South East London. Still, I guess you saw all this coming.

[eccentric]

Info from 85 year old NCR resident (not me!)

In the 50's the street market on North Cross Road went from the Palmerston to the Uplands Tavern, both sides of the street!

[macroban]

Quite right, eccentric.

And the shops continued all the way to Barry Road and beyond.

[jb1000]

Bring it on I say. A bigger market with a proper fruit and veg stall, some clothes, some more junk would be excellent. Parking round here is, relatively speaking, a breeze, particularly as it would only really be on a Saturday (Friday is less busy).

[eccentric]

I would add, be careful what you wish for.

A Saturday ban on traffic is usually the thin end of the wedge towards resident permit parking only and that could kill off NCR. Lots of people drive to NCR/LL on Saturday and if permits were introduced I think this might kill off some shops.

Typo edit

[*Bob*]

There's nothing wrong with any of the stalls on offer at the moment (good luck to 'em), but they're obviously targeted at a certain demographic (jars of jam for ?5.. gold plating on the underside of the lid, I assume?.. high definition photographs on SE22 taken from above with magnifying glass provided - so you can check if your garden is bigger than the one next door.. baby bibs at ten pounds a pop.. junk furniture rebranded as modern classics..) but it's too small and always the same.

It cheers-up Saturday and gives the place a nice feel but it feels a bit like Groundhog Day every time I go down there.

[david_carnell]

Having spoken to a trader, apparently plans are afoot to change the layout. It will occupy both sides of the road and be pedestrianised but only as far as Nutfield Rd where it'll revert to a single side and allow vehicle access.

[SteveT]

I am considering opening a stall selling shopping trollies, as it will be pedestrians only.;-)

[????]

Dulmum, To be honest, I preferred a pint and a game of pool in the Foresters far more than The Bishop....

[lozzyloz]

Expansion of the market could be quite positive for the area if there are more antiques/collectibles, art, 2nd hand designer clothes, footwear and ethnic food stalls. Just adding more fruit and veg, mobile phone accessory and bric-a-brac would be a bad move.

If it's true will this be the death knell for the ED Warehouse? Will residents loyal to the EDW pour onto the streets bearing protest placards or will the residents of Zenoria Street hold a massive street party?

[Cassius]

Definitely agree with the ethnic food stalls - I love the ones at Greenwich - sushi anyone?

[Moos]

david_carnell Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Having spoken to a trader, apparently plans are

> afoot to change the layout. It will ... be pedestrianised but only

> as far as Nutfield Rd where it'll revert to a

> single side and allow vehicle access.

Hi d_c

Did the trader mean permanently pedestrianised or only on market days?

[dulmum]

????, am with you on that. As bad as it was, it was preferable to the Bishop.