Market traders write to Cameron

Downing Street has written a letter to one of the Shepherd's Bush Market traders leading the campaign to save the historic row of shops on Goldhawk Road from the developers wrecking ball, and received a pretty standard cut and paste job of a reply. 

But what it does mean is that the Department for Communities & Local Government, to which the No10 letter refers, will also have to issue a formal reply. 

Ms Meghani says that in her letter to Mr Cameron, she pointed out that:

"he made great speeches on saving independent shops and on multiculturalism, and that his wife been the head of the British Fashion council, should really support us shops and the fashion industry".  

"I challenged him to come and visit us thriving shops, and should he really be demolishing these shops that has been serving the community collectively for 300yrs. I had stated, that these shops have been standing for almost 140yrs, with the oldest Pie shop in the UK".  

"Should he fail to support us, then his speeches would hold no fort, and in addition the fashion industry would collapse overnight, which he would then be responsible for. The question is, why demolish us, as we are doing something right to have sustain these number of yrs".

I'm not sure the British fashion industry really would collapse overnight if the Goldhawk Shops are knocked down, but you get the gist. After all, Council Leader Greenhalgh did promise that the shops would not be knocked down if the shop owners didn't want them to be at this public meeting - and then promptly forgot his promise.

So it's no surprise the traders have given up on him and the council, and are appealing to any other authority that they can. 

Livingstone: H&F Tories should be jailed

More gaffes from Ken Livingstone as the old dinosaur again fell for an elephant trap placed in his path by some cunning Hammersmith Conservatives last week.

After his explosive comments to me when I interviewed him during his visit to Shepherd’s Bush Market earlier this year you might have thought he’d have learned his lesson.

But no, when challenged by Peter Graham, a Conservative councillor who also works for Greg Hands, MP for neighbouring Chelsea & Fulham, whether he’d meant to describe local Tories as “a bunch of crooks” for what they were planning on doing to the local area’s estates with property developers, against many residents wishes, Red Ken replied:

"Oh, yes. I think, frankly, you should all go to prison for what you’re doing in this borough. I think it’s what Shirley Porter did, and you’re destroying lives, and you should be ashamed of yourself. And if there’s any justice you will burn in hell and your flesh will be flayed by demons for all eternity."

Cue predictably excited tweets from the local Conservatives and local media who must be annoyed that for the second time Ken was in the borough, they missed the real story of his visit. But the real annoyance must surely be felt by Ken’s own media team, who must be thinking hard about whether to let the old bruiser anywhere near Hammersmith & Fulham ever again!

The great fireworks debate

Yesterday night I enjoyed a free fireworks display courtesy of the fact that Ealing Council territory is but a stone's throw from my front door. With a display that shook W12 windows in their frames and lit up the streets below, the good people of Hammersmith & Fulham gazed upwards at a display that was both well planned and superbly executed.

So today I made a comment about this on Twitter, for I shall be spending this evening at another display, this time in Newham with the in-laws, which will also be gratis for the local community and hangers-on like me. My point was that there seemed to be free displays all over London, with the exception of Hammersmith & Fulham.

Several of the ruling Conservative councillors immediately pointed out, quite rightly, that this was public money and that cash spent on things that go bang in the sky is cash not spent on local services. But others pointed out that a free local fireworks festival also generates local trade for businesses who are feeling the cold winds of recession.

Personally I don't have that much of a strong feeling about it and can see the councillors point - but I do just think its a shame that the local community won't be getting a display this year if they can't afford the £7 per person price tag. What think you?

Monday update - well the Newham display I attended was great, and from what I heard the Ravenscourt Park one was too - with lots of you actually managing to enjoy it for free from a secret public location not so very far from the park - clever Bushers. In the meantime, however, have a  read of the shenanigans going on down in South East London reported by my fellow blogger Daryll and thank goodness we don't have a Council as ridiculous as Greenwich. A (Labour) council that prefers funding Mayoral booze-ups to community events. And then they'll criticise the cuts.

Pic of the Bush

A superb image of Shepherd's Bush at night from a good friend of mine, photographer Stephen Iliffe, who'se work you can view here - his images are regularly featured on Londonist and elsewhere, and he tells me he took this shot on his way to a music concert one evening in the Bush.

Happy Friday!

Drugs raid on Shepherd's Bush Market - 7 arrests

Hammersmith & Fulham Police have carried out a significant raid in Shepherds Bush Market.

On Wednesday 2nd November the intelligence led joint operation saw officers from Hammersmith & Fulham's Drugs Squad, Shepherds Bush Safer Neighbourhoods Team and Territorial Support Group execute a search warrant at Shepherds Bush Market, Shepherds Bush to disrupt drug dealing in the market. The officers descended upon various locations within the market where drugs were being stored and openly supplied.

During the search of the market stalls police recovered a kilo of herbal cannabis and £2,000 in cash. Drugs paraphernalia in the form of digital scales, bags and other packaging were also seized.

Seven males were arrested:

• [A] 45 yr old man from Shepherds Bush 
• [B] 50 yr old man from Hammersmith 
• [c] 35 yr old man from Shepherds Bush 
• [d] 40 yr old man from Hammersmith 
• [e] 50 yr old man from Shepherds Bush 
• [f] 45 yr old man from Shepherds Bush 
• [g] 52 yr old man from Shepherds Bush

Detective Sergeant Simon Rogers from Hammersmith & Fulham's Drugs Squad said:

“This operation highlights the Drug Squads commitment to removing drug dealers from the streets of Hammersmith & Fulham.

Shepherds Bush Market is a breeding ground for Drug Dealing with storage units, market stalls, containers, cafes and restaurants all hidden in dark alleyways and narrow corridors with inadequate CCTV.

The dealers ‘ply their trade’ from business premises which are often a front for their criminal activities. They are organized, they employ spotters 24/7 and have strategic stash locations within the market which makes policing very difficult.

Yesterday’s operation was well planned and executed, and the results speak for themselves.

We will continue to work with local SNT’S and Partner Agencies in a bid to remove the dealers from the streets of Shepherds Bush".

Anyone who may have information relating to drugs should call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Market Traders publish set of demands

Market Traders have published their latest set of concerns and demands over our Council's plans to allow developers Orion to build seven floors of luxury flats on top of the Market, and the document is published in full below. Many thanks to them for sending it to me. (Click on "view in full screen" - 1st button on left at the bottom for ease of reading)

What shines through in almost every point they make is the complete absence of any trust between either the traders and the property developers - which is to be expected, but also now between the traders and their own Council. That is perhaps due to Cllr Greenhalgh's broken promise over the Goldhawk Block row of shops, which some of the traders feel is emblematic of how the Council has dealt with them.

This set of concerns follows those published by the residents living in the streets around the Market, notably Pennard and Goldhawk Road, which I published here.

In short the Traders fear being priced out by rent hikes and are angry at a 'divide and rule' approach to the compensation on offer to some but not all traders for the disruption to their livelihoods while the Market is knocked down and rebuilt, and then the luxury flats are built on top of them. Orion's proposal to rename part of the Market "crook", I think, speaks loudest of all.

SBMTA's Concerns Regarding Orion's Planning Application (1)

Elderly woman robbed in W12: Police appeal

Detectives at Hammersmith and Fulham are appealing for information and witnesses following a robbery on a elderly female in Landor walk, W12.

On Friday 21st October at around 15:40hrs a 76-year-old woman was robbed near Malvern Court Sheltered Housing, Landor Walk, W12.

The victim was walking with a friend when two males approached them and snatched the victims purse, pushing her to the ground.

The suspects are described as one white male and one black male, both wearing dark hooded tops. A red leather purse was stolen. As a result of the robbery the elderly victim received a fractured hip.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Constable Andy Griffin based in the Priority Crime Unit at Hammersmith Police Station on 0208 246 2678; or, if you wish to remain anonymous, please call crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.