Traders at a covered market in north London are celebrating after Grainger abandoned plans to redevelop the site.
Stall owners at Latin Village in Tottenham, N15, were told that the developer’s contract had expired and Grainger would not be seeking to renew it.
The decision comes after nearly two decades of work and a planning permission for 196 build-to-rent flats from Haringey Council.
The Pueblito Paisa cafe operates out of the ground-floor of a former department store, but has been fighting to preserve its patch since Haringey Council signed an agreement with Grainger in 2004 to redevelop the building as flats and a shopping centre.
Planning permission for the site, which is owned by Transport for London, was granted in 2012. But the traders managed to secure a declaration from the United Nations in 2017 that the plans were incompatible with the state’s obligations to protect minorities and were therefore a threat to the traders’s human rights. That appeared to have been overturned in 2019 when a High Court judge upheld a compulsory purchase order.
Now Grainger says that the appetite for retail and construction costs have changed since it was granted planning permission and that it cannot revisit planning without the risk of further legal challenge.
Haringey Council has come out in support of the traders’ own plans to develop the market, which include a self-managed market, low-cost office space and community facilities.
In a statement, Grainger said: “This decision is due to the rising cost to deliver the scheme caused by several factors: the drawn-out nature of implementing the scheme owing to numerous legal challenges from a small by vocal minority, the complexity of the site and the changing economic environment.”
Grainger added that the current designs require significant changes to bring it in line with updated Building Regulations and modern standards of energy efficiency, accessibility and fire safety.
The developer will also no longer proceed with the proposed temporary market at its Apex Gardens scheme, which was designed to accommodate the Seven Sisters Indoor Market.
Grainger added: “We remain committed to the area and will continue to invest through other local developments, including the recently launched Apex Gardens. As a long-term housing provider, Grainger will continue to be a long-term partner to the community.”
The West Green Road/Seven Sisters Development Trust, formed by local residents businesses and market tenants, will now seek to restore the historic Wards building and indoor market. The group received consent in 2019 and said it is engaged in “promising” discussions with ethical investors to fund development.
The chair of the Trust, Carlos Burgos, said: “Grainger’s withdrawal finally ends a terrible period of suffering and neglect, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Seven Sisters Market and Wards Corner.
“Rooted in 15 years’ of local organising, the Wards Corner Community Plan is a viable scheme to restore a heritage building, listed community asset and celebrated market, which will revive the high street and town centre for the benefit of the community.”
Graeme Craig, director of commercial development at TfL, said: “We know how much the market means to the small businesses based there and the local community and we want to see traders being able to operate safely again as soon as possible. We will now be using this moment to work with the local community and stakeholders, including Haringey Council, while we consider our potential next steps and options.”
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