Setting the record straight about whether Globe Town Market Square will become a car park
Locals call for better communication as a public notice on a lamppost left the community feeling confused and disappointed at the lack of consultation from the Council about proposals to create parking for the marketplace.
Residents, business owners and market traders were left confused by a public notice posted by Tower hamlets Council on a lamppost in Globe Town Market Square outlining its proposals to develop off-street parking on the square.
Appearing on Thursday 19 January, the notice laid out proposals to create an unspecified number of permitted parking bays on ‘Globe Town Market Square (on Knottisford Street between Morpeth Street and Usk Street)’, suggesting that the car parking bays would run behind the shops on the Square.
However, due to a lack of communication with the public, there was confusion among people who work and live around the square about where exactly the parking spaces would be developed.
Ellie Scherbatykh, a Globe Town resident who lives on Meath Crescent, raised awareness of the proposals by posting a photo of the notice on Twitter four days after it was put up.
She said: ‘The notice does not make clear where the car park will be: the square or Knottisford Street behind it. Without Council response we cannot tell where and how many spaces there will be and how they will be accessed.’
The notice states that a copy of the proposed Order and all relevant documents can be obtained by emailing or writing to the Council, but since putting in her request four days ago, Scherbatykh said she still has not heard a response.
There are no current or future plans for public parking on the Globe Town Market Square… We plan to formalise the existing parking spaces, on the north side of Knottisford Street behind the shops
Tower Hamlets Council
In the meantime, Tower Hamlets Council responded to Roman Road LDN, clarifying: ‘There are no current or future plans for public parking on the Globe Town Market Square. There is one dedicated parking space on the square which has been provided for essential services and maintenance purposes only.
‘We plan to formalise the existing parking spaces, on the north side of Knottisford Street (between Morpeth Street and Usk Street) behind the shops, as off-street parking and this is what the notice is for. Formalising this parking will enable the Council to manage any parking on the square and enforce penalties for any illegal parking that may take place. There will be no new parking spaces created in this area.’
Marc Herbert, who runs Herbert’s Fruits and Salads stall on Globe Town Market and whose family has been trading on the square since 1974, said: ‘The contact between the Council with the traders and shops had been really disappointing. The information they gave just didn’t make sense.’
Though he said it was good news that no new parking spaces would be created in the market square, the confusion and concern created among market traders and businesses could have been avoided with clearer communication from the Council.
‘The whole situation just wasn’t explained properly because they’ve just thrown these information sheets on the posts. Knottisfield Street and Morpeth Street are on the square so I didn’t understand the whole scale of it but I think now we’ve got to the bottom of it,’ said Herbert.
The ongoing redevelopment of Globe Town Market, which includes the planting of more trees, new floor demarcations for market pitches and more seating, was due to be complete in December 2022. According to the Council the works have been delayed due to access to materials and are expected to be completed in early February.
‘It’s alright doing an area up and making it more attractive,’ said Herbert: ‘But the Square needs more market stalls to attract more people, and giving more support to traders could really help that.’
Emin Titiz, shopkeeper at TFX International Food which is located on the square, was also confused by the parking proposals when a customer informed him of the misleading notices earlier this week. Titiz said he had tried to get in touch with the Council about construction on the square in the past but had never been able to get through to them on the phone.
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