Traders at Ridley Road Market are being threatened with eviction

"While the outdoor part of Ridley Road market is managed by Hackney Council, its indoor area (formerly known as Ridley Road Shopping Village) is privately owned. It was purchased by its current landlord, Larochette Real Estate Inc, a decade ago for £6.5m."

"13 traders in the indoor section of the market have been handed letters in recent weeks telling them that they needed to leave the building by the end of March. The letters reportedly stated that the leases had to end because of a Met crackdown on antisocial behaviour in the market."

"The Met disputes that claim and denied that it had 'requested the closure of the indoor market space or issued a closure order'. A member of Hackney Council added that the letter misrepresented the Met's position and called on the council to support the traders and the market is preserved."

"Back in 2018, Larochette submitted plans to turn the space into a block of offices and luxury flats. The campaign by locals to save the market was one of the largest community campaigns in the area in the last decade. After protests, widespread media coverage and hundreds of letters of complaints, the plans were rejected."

Ridley Road Market, an east London institution since the 1880s, operates as a multicultural marketplace with over 150 stalls selling Afro-Caribbean, Asian, and Turkish goods. The outdoor section is council-managed, while the privately-owned indoor area was purchased by Larochette Real Estate Inc a decade ago. Recently, 13 indoor traders received letters requiring departure by end of March, citing Met police crackdowns on antisocial behavior. However, the Met disputes this claim, denying any closure request or order. Hackney Council supports the traders and market preservation. This marks the second threat in ten years; a 2018 redevelopment proposal faced successful community opposition, and a 2022 council commitment to lease the property was intended to secure the market's future.

Read at Time Out London