Market rent hikes leave traders at end of fuse

Chapel Market traders face a hike in their rent despite the Council’s failure to provide adequate electricity supply.


Stallholders, who pay £57 a week, are furious at the £5 rise in rent as there has been no significant improvement in the facilities available to them.

Broken electricity cables in the market have led to a decline in the number of stalls, with a large number of food sellers relocating to other markets due to the unreliable electricity points.

Stallholder, George Norcross, said: “It’s diabolical. We’ve got no electricity but we’ve been paying for it. We’ve been waiting for the Council to get it fixed for at least 10 months. It’s driving stallholders away. Every time we ask the council when it will be fixed, the Council refuses to give us an exact day.”

Peter Adamides, Chairman of the Chapel Market Stallholders’ Association, has been involved in lengthy discussions with Islington Council over the increased rate and obtained a postponement of its introduction until April 1st.

He said: “Why should stallholders pay more money for a worse service than 10 months ago? It’s unreasonable to expect us to be happy about this. The electricity cables are dangerous, people can easily trip on them if they’re not careful, it’s really not safe. The only explanation we have been given for the price rise is that the Council wants to balance its books and that’s why they are charging us more. We haven’t been told why the electricity is taking so long to sort out though.”

Brian Roberts is one of the few remaining food-sellers at Chapel Market and says the only reason he is still in business is because his electricity supply is still working. He said: “We’re one of the few stalls in action. Vehicles drive down here at night and damage the electricity boxes. To be honest the supply boxes aren’t built for this environment and it’s really affecting people’s ability to make a living. How can you run a business without electricity?”