Traders at one of London’s oldest markets have said it is a shadow of its former glory amid council plans to ‘revive’ it. A fishmonger said online shopping and expensive parking charges in particular have ‘killed’ Kingston Ancient Market, which originally opened around 1170.
Kingston Council announced plans in March to ‘revive’ the town centre market after putting forward a ‘growing case for modernisation and change’ in the way it operates. The council owns the market stalls, market square and Grade II* listed Ancient Market House but the market is operated by Kingston First, the town centre’s business improvement district, under a rolling 12-month agreement. It is home to 28 permanent stalls and open seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm.
The council wants to bring together the market, market square and Ancient Market House under a longer-term lease held by a new operator to allow a ‘longer-term partnership approach’. The authority’s corporate and resources committee approved the new Ancient Market Place strategy on March 19, which aims to deliver a ‘revived market destination for London and the South East’ by 2028 with an ‘expanded and diversified’ market attracting more shoppers – including the introduction of more events, regular pop-up stalls with greater variety, evening trading and reopening the Ancient Market House as it has been mostly empty for the last few years.
Market traders told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it is no longer the destination it was decades ago, but welcomed any improvements the new strategy might bring. Fishmonger Tim Meads, 60, who has traded at the market for 41 years, said: “All this market is now is food. There’s nothing to bring people. Years ago, I’ve been here 41 years, my family started in 1866, there used to be a haberdashery stall selling curtain material, you used to have a stall selling cards, wrapping paper, you used to have a stall selling hoover bags, bits and pieces. Now it’s just fast food – you can get that anywhere.”
Mr Meads said the rise of online shopping, supermarkets and expensive parking charges in Kingston town centre have ‘killed’ the market. Traders face lower footfall and rising costs, he added, as his weekly rent has risen from £250 to £560 over the last decade and his monthly electricity bill is now £250. The fishmonger said these challenges are shared by markets and town centres across the country.
He said: “The biggest thing is online shopping because people are on their phones. They don’t have to go out, they get everything delivered. That’s why, you see, you walk around Kingston, walk around any town, every other shop is empty because they can’t afford the rent.
“They need the [footfall]. People ain’t going to come and visit a town with empty shops, are they? They especially ain’t going to pay £13 to park and walk around empty shops, and then if they walk around all they can do is get fast food. You can get fast food anywhere. They’ve killed this market… it used to be a lovely market.”
Lucho Vlahov, 34, of Thee Olive Tree, told the LDRS the market has declined in the eight years he has worked there as it used to be ‘a lot bigger’ with more pop-up stalls and events. He said: “They were bringing a lot more people to the market, so basically it was better. There was a lot more footfall.”
The trader stressed the importance of the market’s survival for Kingston’s character. He said: “We all love the job here and it’s nice, it’s fun. You meet a lot of people. They come, they have their relationship with you – they don’t come just to get the baklava, they come because they have a chat with you… it’s something that you can’t have if you work for the big chains, definitely. It’s very charming. Kingston is well-known for its so-called market town.”
But he warned it needs improvement to boost footfall. He said waste management has become the ‘biggest issue’ facing traders over the last year-and-a-half after a bin store was installed between his stall and another, which has made the business ‘suffer’ as it puts off customers and attracts ‘squirrels, mice, foxes and rats’. He also called for better CCTV coverage of the market as he claimed traders were targeted by a string of burglaries last year.
Sergeant Tom Walker, from the Kingston Town Centre policing team, told the LDRS officers worked with traders and used their CCTV after they were targeted for a couple of weeks last year. Sergeant Walker said: “Officers from the Kingston Town Centre team identified two males who had committed these offences. The males were arrested and investigations handed over to the burglary team who subsequently charged them with burglary offences.”
Mr Vlahov also wants to see the market promoted more. He said: “If you’re not familiar with the area… you can just walk through the high street not knowing that there is a market here. You might end up in Aldi, Lidl, wherever, buying your groceries from there instead of coming and having some fresh stuff and supporting the local businesses.”
Tony Goshawk, 59, of Tony’s Fruit Stall, has traded at the market for 41 years and also called for its appearance to be improved, along with the variety it offers. “Whatever happens is going to be a good thing,” he said. “It needs a change. It needs an uplift.”
Mr Goshawk said the market has changed significantly and, while he is not worried about losing it as it has market rights granted by Royal Charter, it needs to be improved. He said: “The people that love it are the people that remember how it was 40 years ago. Some people [who] come along now still think it’s OK and it is OK, it’s never going to be like it was 40 years ago but it certainly could be a lot better than it is now.”
He added: “When you go to the market, you’ve got food stalls and right next to them you’ve got waste, rubbish, and then you’ve got a fishmonger and then you’ve got waste, rubbish as well and that attracts vermin and all sorts and doesn’t look very [nice], so there’s a lot to be done… something needs to be done.”
The council has consulted traders to identify issues facing the market and opportunities to improve it, with their feedback including a desire for more events, better branding to celebrate Kingston’s market history, improved waste management with more frequent collections and covered outdoor seating.
The authority is holding a public consultation until May 19 to put together a document outlining goals for the future of the market to help it find a suitable operator. It expects to appoint an operator by the end of the year and launch the new model in April 2025. Kingston First will continue to manage the market in the meantime.
A Kingston First spokesperson said: “Kingston First welcomes the opportunity to revitalise the Ancient Market Place. We have always recognised the cultural, historic and economic importance of the Ancient Market Place and believe it has the opportunity to be a more welcoming and greener space for the community and visitors with more investment.
“While we have managed the daily market and Ancient Market Place space the best we can, we and the traders have been restricted because of challenges within the space including the permanent market stalls, which are owned by the council and which are no longer fit-for-purpose. Car parking charges are the responsibility of the council and private providers, while CCTV is the responsibility of the council. We have long encouraged better provision for both car park charges and CCTV across the town.”
A Kingston Council spokesperson said it is committed to ensuring the ‘well-loved’ market ‘continues to be successful and sustainable for everyone to enjoy, for years to come’. The spokesperson said: “Our ambition for the space is based on the feedback we have heard from traders, local residents, businesses and other community stakeholders. We are currently creating a list of aspirations for the future of the space, which we’re seeking everyone’s views on. This will then help us find and select an operator, and we are encouraging everyone to take part by visiting our website.
“By bringing together the street market, Market House and surrounding public space under one strategy, to be delivered by one operator, we can bring huge benefits for residents, local businesses and visitors. This includes creating an enhanced and distinctive visitor destination, with a programme of cultural, creative and community activities, the potential for extended trading hours, and improved energy use, waste reduction, re-use and recycling, amongst many others.”
Images one and two: Kingston Ancient Market, Kingston.
Image three: Fruit and veg stall at Kingston Ancient Market.
Image four: Grade II* listed Ancient Market House, Kingston Ancient Market.
Images five and six: Fishmonger Tim Meads, 60, at Kingston Ancient Market. Credits: Charlotte Lillywhite/LDRS
