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To: Westminster City Council

KEEP BERWICK STREET MARKET INDEPENDENT

Stop the privatisation and keep our much loved Berwick Street Market Independent.

Why is this important?

Berwick Street Market has been independent for 300 years yet Westminster City Council has decided to privatise it with barely any consultation - It's all happening behind the scenes - private operators are already in the tender process and traders’ licences have been terminated without warning.

These licences are peoples livelihoods, businesses and relationships, and belong to traders who are part of Soho's history and culture. Berwick Street Market is now the frontline of the relentless cleansing of Soho. @BerW1ckStMarket

Berwick Street Market, Berwick Street, London

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Links

Campaign Facebook Page

Updates

2016-11-15 08:04:32 +0000

Berwick Street Market has won Best SHOPS in Soho! #LoveLondonAwards http://www.timeout.com/london/lovelondonawards

2016-10-30 11:11:53 +0000

2 DAYS LEFT - PLEASE VOTE Please help us demonstrate Berwick Street Market is important. This is all about public support for a Soho community market that is at risk of being lost to gentrification. There are just 2 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE BERWICK ST MARKET_Time Out Love London Awards … make your vote count for #indy #Soho_pls share http://www.timeout.com/london/lovelondonawards#/vote/soho/shops

2016-10-30 11:05:32 +0000

Price drop means traders will make a bid to run market for themselves http://www.westendextra.com/price-drop-market

2016-10-30 11:01:28 +0000

Joanna Lumley sets out her stall to rescue Soho market from takeover threat http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/joanna-lumley-sets-out-her-stall-to-rescue-soho-market-from-takeover-threat-a3378981.html

2016-10-22 13:31:46 +0100

Don't let them rip the heart out of Soho @BerW1ckStMarket Last chance to VOTE INDEPENDENT BERWICK STREET MARKET_Time Out #LOVELONDONAWARDS #BerwickStMarket http://www.timeout.com/london/lovelondonawards#/vote/soho/shops … …

2016-10-13 21:14:21 +0100

You have voted to keep Berwick Street Market alive as an independent market place against the interests of developers and gentrification it's TIME TO VOTE BERWICK STREET MARKET in Time Out Love London Awards http://www.timeout.com/london/lovelondonawards#/vote/soho/shops … make your vote count for indy Soho_pls vote, retweet and share _22,053 votes will secure Berwick Street market a place in history...we have come a long way_pls do not underestimate the power of your vote (sadly we are listed under 'shops')

2016-09-27 12:55:12 +0100

#BerwickStMarket was here_new plan shows contractors hoardings will slice market in two and cut surface area by half_stop this madness #Soho https://twitter.com/BerW1ckStMarket/status/780706489778466817

2016-09-27 07:49:55 +0100

#BerwickStMarket was here_new plan shows contractors hoardings will slice market in two and cut surface area by half_stop this madness #Soho https://twitter.com/BerW1ckStMarket/status/780660302371295233

2016-09-26 07:20:35 +0100

End of part two. The bidding window closes this week. Westminster slashed its price by £60,000 (previous updates) and extended the bid till Friday 30th Sept. This will create chaos. The price is now be a temptation despite total lack of infrastructure which has been sold off. Bidders will be chancers who think they can turn a profit but have nothing to lose if they don't as they can collect from traders. There remains no storage, no washroom, no toilet, no parking, no drop-off. The infrastructure is the road surface and two taps, one of which does not work. We have engaged with Westminster and presented an alternative plan We have raised a legal fund, made an application for an ACV (Community Asset Listing) and driven stakeholder engagement (part two). Part three will deal with whatever bids come our way and the manoeuvres of councillors and cabinet who seem determined to finish us off…https://twitter.com/berw1ckstmarket

2016-09-26 06:44:24 +0100

Traders call to halt sell-off of Berwick Street Market in Soho as bid to find operator ‘fails’

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/traders-call-to-halt-selloff-of-berwick-street-market-in-soho-as-bid-to-find-operator-fails-a3349106.html

2016-09-26 06:41:05 +0100

WESTMINSTER Council has slashed its asking price for a private operator to run Soho’s Berwick Street Market.

The council has dropped the amount it wants for the first year from £187,000 to £127,000. The application deadline has also been extended to September 30.

Robin Smith, from the Berwick Street Traders Society, said: “We are not surprised as we said all along the way that the maths doesn’t work. The price is probably appetising now, but it doesn’t deal with the lack of infrastructure. We think it is going to lead to chaos.”

The council said it responded to calls for a price review from potential operators who they say wanted more “flexibility” to develop the market.

It says they have cut the costs by excluding capital costs of electricity bollards in the first year and halving the time “city inspectors” allocate to the market.

http://www.westendextra.com/berwickstreetmarket

2016-09-21 12:05:51 +0100

@SohoGeorge says RETWEET FOR VICTORY #BerwickStMarket #GBHighSt http://www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk #2016Awards #Soho https://twitter.com/BerW1ckStMarket/status/778491857185669120

2016-09-18 21:41:58 +0100

Good luck @berW1ckStMarket - you're in the running for the #GBHighSt awards 2016! https://twitter.com/TheGBHighSt/status/777174596596469760

2016-09-18 21:41:14 +0100

Good luck Robin Smith @berW1ckStMarket - you've been nominated for market champion in the #GBHighSt awards! https://twitter.com/TheGBHighSt/status/777174887693705216

2016-09-16 20:44:07 +0100

Today is the day bidding for #BerwickStMarket came to a close. Instead_WCC slashed the price and extended the deadline_whatever next #BOGOF We need to scale up like bullfrog. Please follow us on twitter @BerW1ckStMarket and, if you have the energy for a 2nd click, retweet the Guardian article and/or the West End Extra article https://twitter.com/berw1ckstmarket Thanks very very much....