Traders working at a historic indoor market in Newham have complained about new lighting put up by the council as they argue it's 'significantly darker and dimmer' than before. Some traders working at Queen's Market in Upton Park say they have have resorted to buying their own torches for their stalls because of health and safety concerns.
On Tuesday morning (July 23), campaigners and traders staged a demonstration outside the market in protest against the new lighting and ongoing issues they are experiencing. In June 2024, Newham Council says it installed new lighting as part of a major programme of investment aimed at improving the overall experience for traders, shoppers and visitors to the market.
However traders claim the council replaced 400 previous lights with just 99 new ones, which they say are yellow and faint. Traders are worried the problem will worsen by the time winter arrives, as they say they are currently relying on natural daylight that comes through the roof of the market. Campaign group Friends of Queen's Market and the market traders' 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.
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![Westley McDermott is the fifth generation in his family to work at Queen's Market](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613563.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02015-1.jpg)
According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Friends of Queen's Market earlier this year, the council spent £731,000 on new lighting and pigeon mesh. The same FOI request found the council spent £116,530 on removing old pigeon netting and providing temporary lighting at the market.
Ashok Kaul, who runs a family-owned haberdashery business, said: "We've asked [the council] several times what the specifications are, and we've been told to wait for the report to come out. We just want to know what the council signed off on, what the lighting should be and who said that this was acceptable. They are refusing to tell us."
![Campaigners bought flashlights to the protest on Tuesday (July 23)](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613560.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_01997.jpg)
He added: "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 from the council what they asked for, did they ask for 99 lights? This looks like like someone decided overnight and in a rush they chose these."
![Some traders say they are using flashlights for their stalls](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613564.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02020.jpg)
Westley McDermott, who is the fifth generation of his family to work at Queen's Market, believes the new lighting will drive customers away. He said: "By making it darker it's going to stop people 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."
![Naveed Choudhury, chairman of the traders' union](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613558.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02012jpgm.jpg)
Ramiz Sajeed from Exotic Supermarket said: "If the council paid us £200,000, we probably would 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." Mr Sajeed went on to say while most of the pigeon netting has proven effective, it hasn't stopped some pigeons who still come to nest and do their business right outside his shop and others places in the market.
Naveed Choudhary, chairman of the traders' union, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last year about existing problems with pickpockets and antisocial behaviour (ASB). Mr Choudhary told the LDRS earlier this week that he doesn't believe the council is listening to traders' concerns.
![Some traders don't believe the new pigeon netting has been entirely effective](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613567.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02010-1.jpg)
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, less pickpockets and crimes are committed here, but because of the drugs people are scared to come inside. When it's winter, we as traders are scared, we don't feel safe in the dark, we already have too many issues here like pickpockets who come and snatch phones. We have enough issues and plus this darkness which makes it worse, so they're not listening to us."
Campaigner Sant Kundi says lighting is the latest blow for traders, with complaints spanning over two decades. Mr Kundi said: "The council just do not want to partner up with the people they are supposed to be serving and that's been going on for over 20 years. This market has been under threat for so long, the lighting is just one small issue, this has been going on for years. These traders have been going through so many issues."
![Traders argue the new lighting is too dark for the market](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613562.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02019.jpg)
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 have told 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 added: "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 going back to the traders with an update at this stage. We continue to take positive action to reduce ASB in and around Queen's Market, with our community safety enforcement officers patrolling the area on a daily basis in partnership with the police."
![Traders and shoppers at Queen's Market in Upton Park in East London, Britain](https://i2-prod.mylondon.news/incoming/article29613565.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_FMA_02007-1.jpg)
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