Ridley Road Market is to get a £1 million makeover in time for 2012

Ridley Road Market is to get a £1 million makeover in time for the 2012 Olympics, it has been announced today.

The Dalston market is one of East London’s busiest, cheapest and best-loved food and sundries markets.

The improvements, beginning in April 2010, will include building 165 larger pitches of equal sizes as well as a new layout to make the market more attractive to both shoppers and traders; better lighting so the environment is more welcoming after dark; and wider pathways between stalls to create greater access around the market. There will also be improved recyling and waste collection facilities, and new granite channels for better drainage.

Two-wheeled shoppers will be encouraged to cycle to market for their ‘five a day’, thanks to secure bike spaces, near the shopping centre and St Mark’s Rise.  

Following last year’s consultation, Hackney Council is investing in the innovations that Hackney people most want to see. The improvements to Ridley Road Market’s landscape reflect the 'wish list' of residents, shoppers and traders.  

The first step will be the installation of lighting and electrics at the end of April. Traders had said they wanted more power for lighting stalls and powering items such as electric scales, so power bollards will be located throughout the market providing an electricity supply for all traders.

 

Cllr Alan Laing, Hackney Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said: “We’re excited about this considerable investment in improvements to Ridley Road Market. Dalston is always busy and bustling, and through these important works, we aim to make the environment easier to shop and trade in.

“Whether you’re a veteran Ridley Road shopper or just finding out about one of the most fun and ethnically diverse places to shop for cheap produce in the new East London, please stay loyal to local businesses as the market evolves.”

It’s business as usual for Ridley Road stall holders and shop keepers, who will remain open throughout the works, even if they may be moved at times to make room for planned improvements.

Unable to find a favourite stall? Then just ask a trader or enquire at the market office off Winchester Place.  

As Ridley Road market evolves, visitors will be able to follow its progress online by clicking on: www.hackney.gov.uk/ridleyroad