Street Food Market Planning Expanded Operation Next Year

Seeking permission to more than double in size

The first Food Street market took place in Chiswick in October. Picture: British Street Foods

November 26, 2023

The Food Street market that launched last month on Chiswick High Road is looking to expand its operation next year.

After an unusually large number of comments on the original application, the borough Licensing Panel decided to permit a scaled down version of the market to operate for three months.

The next event takes place this Sunday (26 November) with the final market covered by the current licence happening on Christmas Eve.

Richard Johnson, the Bedford Park resident behind the British Street Food Awards, who is the founder of the market resubmitted the original plan on 3 November. This is for an event more than double the size of the one that took place this October with stalls reaching beyond the car park at Old Market Place and onto the pavement passed the Packhorse and Talbot.

The application is completely unamended from the first attempt with not even the date of 27 May unchanged. When comments were invited on this bid, it received one of the largest amounts of submissions of any licence application in the borough’s history with a majority in favour but some local residents’ groups and nearby businesses opposed. Supporters of the market argued the event would benefit High Road trade overall by attracting more footfall to the area, but opponents objected on the grounds of unfair competition to bricks and mortar businesses, possible congestion and parking issues and increased littering.

The early submission of the new bid meant originally that the deadline for comments would have been on 1 December, only a few days after the second event and before the Christmas Eve market. Councillors on the Licensing Panel decided that this would give insufficient time to examine the impact of the market and therefore the applicant has accepted an extension of the consultation period until 2 January.

Cllr Amy Croft who chairs the Licensing Panel said she did not think it was appropriate to close the window for responses before the final market had been held and to hold a panel to decide on the application before the trial period was over. The panel will meet to discuss the application in January.

The first market in October was deemed a success by the organisers who said many of the stall holders sold out of produce. The event did benefit from exceptionally fine weather.

The market this November will see the participation of some locally based retailers including the first appearance of Le Vacherin restaurant which will be running a stall. Other offerings will include Japanese Onigiri and handmade dumplings with the market running from 11am to 4pm in Old Market Place.

If you wish to make comments on the application, you are not required to wait until the third market has taken place although it is recommended that, if you have commented before, any new feedback should be based on experience of the impact of market or markets that have taken place. Comments should be emailed licensing@hounslow.gov.uk with the subject header Food Street Market. You must include your name and address, but you can request that these details are withheld from the applicant.