Kingston Market will remain closed for another week following the fire that tore through stalls in the early hours of 6 October, with traders told the shutters will stay down until 18 October while safety checks and clear-up works are carried out.
The blaze, which broke out overnight, caused serious damage to market stalls and surrounding buildings, leaving parts of the market place unusable. The exact cause is still being established, but it is believed the fire began with a suspected electrical fault in a fridge, although further tests are required before that can be confirmed.
Further safety concerns found in inspections
Kingston Council said the decision to extend the closure followed the discovery of further safety concerns during onsite inspections. The additional problems were only identified after the initial response to the fire, prompting the council to act before allowing any trading to resume.
During the week-long closure, preparations will be made for the demolition of the damaged stalls, a clean-up of the area and a programme of remedial works needed to make the market safe for traders and shoppers. The council has not said how long each stage of the work will take.
The council said the closure had been deemed “essential to ensure the safety of the public and the site”.
Traders spared pitch fees
Traders will not be liable for pitch fees while they are unable to trade, giving stallholders — many of whom have now lost more than a week of takings — at least some measure of financial relief.
Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch said: “We’ve taken the responsible decision to close the market to protect traders and the public.”
He added: “This gives us time to address the additional safety issues at the same time as removing the damaged stalls and beginning clean up of the area.”
‘Urgent’ search for temporary pitches
Cllr Kirsch said the council and the market operator were working “urgently” to find temporary locations for market traders whose stalls were destroyed in the fire. An exact date for the market’s reopening has not yet been confirmed, leaving traders facing an anxious wait for news on when they can get back to business.
The extended closure will inevitably raise questions about the run-up to Christmas, the busiest trading period of the year for many stallholders, and traders will be watching the market’s recovery closely as the festive season approaches.
Perimeter businesses open as normal
Businesses around the perimeter of the market remain unaffected and are open as normal, the council confirmed, so shoppers can still visit the surrounding shops and cafes while the stalls themselves stay shut.
Until the demolition and remedial works are complete, the market place that usually bustles with stalls and shoppers will stay quiet — an unfamiliar sight in the town centre — while many regulars as well as traders wonder what comes next for one of south-west London’s best-known outdoor markets.
For now, the focus is on making the site safe, clearing the damage and finding temporary pitches so that Kingston’s market traders can get back on their feet. London’s street markets have shown before that they can bounce back from adversity — and elsewhere in the capital, another historic market street has been adapting to change, with a Chapel Market pub starting to serve pie and mash after a nearby shop shut.
The council and the market operator say they are working urgently on the next steps, and traders will be hoping for firm news on a reopening date soon.
For regulars who know the market place at its busiest, the coming week will feel unusually quiet. But with the demolition and remedial works under way and temporary pitches being sought, the hope is that Kingston’s traders can return to doing what they do best before too long.
