Developers have submitted plans for a market made of 13 shipping containers in a small patch of land behind the former Brady’s Pub in Atlantic Road, Brixton.
Guarav Mohindra, from Iridium Assets Ltd, has applied to Lambeth to develop the site, which would be known as “Brixton Yard”.
The developers claim the market would not include cooked food but dry goods like fashion and jewellery. It will include 30 units based in metal shipping containers, varying between 8ft and 40ft in length. The scheme echoes a retail development called Boxpark in Shoreditch, east London.
The land was formerly owned by Transport for London, as it includes an air vent for the Tube station below, but Brixton Blog understands it has since been bought by Iridium Assets Ltd.
It has an entrance gate next to the railway bridge on Atlantic Road, and another on Electric Lane.
In a supporting statement to Lambeth council, a spokesman for Iridium Assets Ltd wrote: “The site is currently derelict. The immediately surrounding areas offer a diverse selection of shops and market stalls, which give this particular part of Brixton its unique and colourful character.”
They added: “The Yard would provide much needed extra space to the neighbouring Brixton Market, which is currently running to its full capacity.”
But current market traders have disputed the need for more market space.
CEO of Brixton Market Trader’s Federation, Stuart Horwood, told Brixton Blog: “This is simply something that Brixton doesn’t need and I’d urge Lambeth not to grant change of use.”
He added: “The covered market may be full but the demand there is for restaurants and food. These guys want to have a trinkets and jewellery market – and the fact is there is already the outdoor market around the corner which is running at only 80% capacity. So there just isn’t the demand for this new market.”
The historic Brady’s pub is currently being developed into flats on the upper floors and the restaurant chain Wahaca is set to open on the ground floor.
The development of the pub, once called the Railway Hotel, came despite a long-running campaign by locals who wanted to take ownership from Lambeth council and run it as a community space.
Residents have until December 3 to give their comments on the scheme, and Lambeth council are set to make a decision over the change of land use to retail by January 7. See the planning application here.
What do you make of the plans? Leave your comment below or email us.
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Brixton needs to expand and employ new ideas to generate wealth. We are still living in the good old days, but we need to wake up and recognise that we need to bring Brixton into the 21st Century. The exisitng market is safisfactory, but satisfactory is not our best. So lets adopt new ideas and increase our potential to attact new investment, new ideas and a new breed of wealth to the community.
No no no
Let Brixton be Brixton – why do we always have to copy everything – the containers might work in the more industrial landscape of Shorditch but def don’t suit brixton – we got the beautiful indoor market x2 and the street market – it works – it gives brixton it’s flair and desirability – just another shipping container market will be interesting for a bet short whili – a fad – and people will loose interest in the area rather quickly!
Please don’t let them put metall containers on the site!!!!
More variety, a new venture, more choice for Brixton customers; of course this is a good thing. It seems to me that the existing market traders think of themselves only and not the customer. Traders appear to be trying to hang on to something which is relevant for some, but not for others. This is not their choice. Brixton is a town, full of varying people who have different needs. Some want the older style things on offer, some want the more modern type of farmers market, others the food stalls ( getting massively overpriced), others want to try out new things. Now I may not be interested in trinkets and things of that ilk, but there are others who are. So in the spirit of free enterprise and invention let this go ahead.
I went to a Christmas market in Kingston recently, a temporary one in a church yard; it was astounding, creative, I saw things there I had never seen before. Quite honestly it made Brixton market look like a narrow minded thing thought up on the back of a cigarette packet and showed what can be achieved if you open you mind. So lets not keep our minds closed as to what Brixton market should be and let it at least have the chance to evolve into something less predictable.
Just incase we werent certain, gentrification is tightening its grasp on Brixton. Will rent prices end in the same place as Shoreditch’s?
Sounds like a great idea and will bring even more diversity to the market while making good use of derelict land. Can’t understand why the traders are so upset about anything new happening that will bring jobs; pump money into the local economy; provide space for small businesses; and make good use of dead space. Strikes me that the traders will never be happy unless the market stays stuck in a 1980s time warp. We’ve come a long way from the market being described by Chief Superintendent Brian Moore as a 24 hour crack supermarket…let’s not return back to those days and be open minded about how we can further improve the market environment. Why don’t the traders put their energy into campaigning to renovate the beautiful buildings on Electric Avenue which have been left to rot after years of neglect. Now that I would support!
Because as soon as businesses get a sniff of financial success in Brixton they’ll all want a piece of the action, making pitch (and residentioal) prices soar. There have already been too many local shops that have suffered under the hand of gentrification, let’s not let them take all the soul out of this historical socially rich and engaging environment. I’m not against renovation, but i think driving the current community out of Brixton would be disgraceful.
Sounds more like opportunism from Iridium Assets – and wouldn’t cost them much in intial outlay if just plonking some pre-fab boxes down…
Site looks pretty small to me though (looking at aerial map)
Another project for some councilor or official to claim as their success. Yippee.