Spitalfields Sunday Market has been an integral part of the East end community since 1993, though it’s history dates much further back to Charles the second, who granted a royal charter for selling fish, fowl and roots. Visitor to the market of 5 years Michelle Saunders pointed out “It’s imperative to the East End life…it’s got so much bigger than in the beginning…Now it’s a place where people go to socialise”. An idyllic use of a relatively small space or so you might think.

Despite it’s success, some people appeared to think they could put the site to better use, or maybe needed it more? These were a property consortium called the Spitalfields Development Group (SDG), who had planning permission to build over half a million square feet of offices on the city fringe. This meant removing 3/5ths of the present market site on behalf of the City Corporation.

Hammerson, a European Real Estate company are now leading the way in the ‘development’ as they acquired the site from SDG on a long leasehold for £27.5 million, the completion is expected in 2001 at a cost of £130 million. Ronald Spinney the Chief Executive said “We see it as an excellent opportunity…where there is little prime office space coming into the market…which should lead to a further increase in rents”. Pressure is on the City at present with competition from Canary Wharf and Frankfurt for being the centre of the world’s finance, it would appear expansion, in their minds is essential.

The remaining 2/5ths are to be squeezed further, as Shoreditch resident Jackie Remfre explained; “Ballymore are planning on building a two story hotel across the middle of the remaining market…they want to expand and they don’t care what gets in their way”. A spokesperson for the property developer said, “our plans are to improve and enhance the market…regardless of what happens on the other part of the site…we’ve got exciting new ideas for the market…there’s absolutely no question we’re getting rid of the it…we’ve had meetings with the traders, shop keepers & residents…by & large I think they’re all broadly happy”.

The plan put before Tower Hamlets Council (THC) in 1997, who initially granted permission for the project, but according to a spokesperson for the SMUT campaign, “they had somehow overlooked some vital aspects of the project…. every plan that is undertaken must have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), this was missed… as was the 17,000 square feet added on, since the original plan was put forward”. This led lawyers working on behalf of Ms Remfre, to take THC and Norton Rose (who have since pulled out) to court in December last year. Her lawyers stated. “ The applications to amend plans to condition 16 are all invalid…and the listed building consent application are parasitic and invalid”. SMUT campaigner Jemima Broadbridge explained, “They pulled out a day before the case started on the advice of their lawyers, due to their omissions on vital details”. However according to Planning Team leader at THC Peter Minoletti it wasn’t overlooked. “It was claimed the EIA should have been required…a whole range of information was provided which we considered to satisfy the requirements at the time”.

Mayor Livingstone, who wasn’t in office at the time of the original proposal was unable to have input, as any planning before his appointment could not be vetoed”. This has now changed, as Mr Minoletti confirmed the development would now be subject to a new application. “Everyone has to be consulted, it’s not that they’re saying please treat this as an amendment…that was where the fuss occurred previously”.

The campaign itself has attracted 20,000 people to its petition, with many supporters coming from the City itself. Ironically the market place is where many small businesses and traders start up. One market holder who began her business there and who wished to remain anonymous said “The fact is people who are imaginative, can start up without the necessary funding needed for some businesses”, she further explained, “I’ve been forced to buy a shop as I saw this coming…fortunately my business was growing, what’s happening now has already taking the soul out of the place”.