Statutory consultation for street markets

Creating a three year strategy for Westminster’s street markets via public consultation

Project management of a 13-week public consultation, working with the council’s Insight Team to devise a trader and customer survey, run drop-in sessions and use the response data to produce a three year strategy that recommended a way forward for all five of the council’s markets. Action plans were produced for one of London’s oldest markets on Berwick Street (Soho), the second biggest daily street market on Church Street and markets on Tachbrook Street (Pimlico), Strutton Ground (Victoria) and Maida Hill (Harrow Road). The plans were developed following extensive consultation and were in the context of developments already underway in the form of master/place plans and neighbourhood plans.

Brief

• Develop a street markets strategy to include a vision for the council’s markets that also identified the key issues facing them alongside five individual plans for each market
• Project manage the development of the strategy through a statutory consultation period to incorporate a fees and charges review, public and stakeholder engagement to include:
• Working with the communications team to develop messaging and material to support the consultation
• Working with the Insight Team to develop consultation surveys, drop-in sessions and other engagement activities
• Attending project meetings and updating key team members across policy, licencing, economy and policy who in turn kept local councillors and cabinet members informed
• Produce a public facing designed and printed strategy for Licensing Committee approval

Results

• 800+ survey responses were received during the public consultation including high levels of response from each market with no less than 50% from every market and in some case 90%+
• Agreement reached for one of the markets to be relaunched, using community networks and creating a different offer to the markets that have gone before it
• Due to extensive engagement with traders and wide consultation, the development of the strategy was received generally positively by traders, residents and customers with no major issues arising
• The year-long process resulted in the creation of two temporary positions in the form of a markets development manager and a head of markets. The first time there had been roles in place to work across all markets looking at operational and process improvements for traders and customers linked to the strategy ideas
• The consultation results showed strong support for: the markets becoming more sustainable via reduced plastic use and increased recycling; greater community involvement; more seating; attracting young people, local residents and start-ups to trade at our markets; information and promotion online for all markets and a wider range of products being available which supported the council with allocating resources and funding to these key areas
• A trader training programme is being developed, market street WiFi enabled and sustainable street food containers were amongst the first round of projects being rolled out.
• The results of the fees and charges review with recommended increases and the full strategy were approved by the Licencing Committee.

You can download the final report via Westminster Council’s website.