Traders at Queen’s Market protest new light system claiming safety and visibility issues

Traders working at the historic indoor market in Newham have complained about the new lighting that the council has installed. They argue that it is “significantly darker and dimmer” than before. Some traders have reportedly bought their torches for their stalls because of health and safety concerns. 

Campaigners and traders staged a demonstration outside the market to protest the new lighting system and the ongoing issues they are experiencing. In June 2024, Newham Council installed the new lights as part of a significant investment programme to improve the overall experience of traders, shoppers, and visitors to the market. 

However, traders claim that the council replaced the 400 lights they previously had with only 99 new ones, which are yellow and faint. Traders are worried that the issue will worsen by winter as they rely on natural daylight that comes through the building’s roof. Friends of Queen’s Market (FQM), a campaign group, and the trader’s union have demanded a detailed price and figure breakdown explaining how much the new lighting cost and how the council came to sign it off. 

FQM requested a Freedom of Information (FOI) earlier this year that showed the council spent £731,000 on new lighting and pigeon mesh. The same FOI request found that the council spent £116,530 to remove old pigeon netting and provide temporary lighting at the market. 

Ashok Kaul, owner of a haberdashery business at the market, said: “We asked (the council) several times what the specifications are, and we’ve been told to wait for the report to come out. We want to know what the council signed off on, what the lighting should be and who said this was acceptable. They are refusing to tell us.

“The council had a lot of money to spend, and the council just blew the opportunity; that’s why we’re frustrated. We need to know what the council asked for. Did they ask for 99 lights? This looks like someone decided overnight, and in a rush, they chose these.” 

Westley McDermott, the fifth generation of his family to work at Queen’s Market, said: “By making it darker, it’s going to stop people from coming because people don’t want to come in. There’s going to be more pickpockets, there’s going to be more drugs, and people won’t feel safe.” 

Another shop owner, Ramiz Sameer, said: “If the council had paid us £200,000, we would probably have done it better ourselves; we would have done a better job for a quarter of the money. We probably could have got all of the equipment from B&Q.” 

Sameer continued by stating that although most of the pigeon netting has been effective, it has not stopped pigeons who still come to nest and do their business outside his shop and others through the market. 

Naveed Choudhary, chairman of the trader’s union, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last year about problems with pickpockets and antisocial behaviour within the market. He told the LDRS earlier this week that he doesn’t believe the council is listening to traders’ concerns. 

He said: “The council is saying because it’s darker, it will lead drug users away, but it’s the opposite way. When it’s bright, fewer pickpockets and crimes are committed here, but because of the drugs, people are scared to come inside. 

“When it’s winter, we traders are scared. We don’t feel safe in the dark, and we already have too many issues here, like pickpockets coming and snatching phones. We have enough issues, plus the darkness, which makes it worse, so they’re not listening to us.” 

Sant Kundi, a campaigner, said, “The council just does not want to partner up with the people it is supposed to serve, and that’s been going on for over twenty years. This market has been under threat for so long; lighting is just one small issue which has been going on for years. These traders have been going through so many issues.” 

A spokesperson for Newham Council said: “We are currently undertaking a major programme of investment at Queen’s Market to make it a better place for traders, shoppers, and visitors and are delivering priorities that the community has told us are important to them. The new lighting in the market was completed in June 2024. Part of every design and delivery project is to ensure that the final installation meets the original design intent.” 

They continued: “We are currently undertaking this process and have completed comprehensive surveys in July 2024. A detailed review of the results is due shortly, and we have already committed to returning to the traders with an update at this stage. We continue to take positive action to reduce anti-social behaviour in and around Queen’s Market, with our community safety enforcement officers patrolling the area daily in partnership with the police.”