The beloved Tooting market is being threatened with demolition as the newly proposed Crossrail 2 reveals plans for a ventilation shaft that threaten parts of the culturally historical site.
The north-south underground train line, which if built, will run through London, travelling underground for most of its length. Estimated to cost around £27 billion, it is a massive project, and if commissioned, is on track to be the largest public transportation project built in London for the next decade. There are many advantages to having this proposed railway line, and in an initial consultation held in early 2014, it achieved over 90% support from the public. However, the views of the minority must be taken into account in this case, as it is a project that will affect people living in Tooting and the surrounding area, and their jobs.
Developments for the new train line have already threatened the Curzon in SoHo, and now another local landmark has come under threat.
Reports have been released stating that Crossrail 2 needs a ventilation shaft in south London - with just one problem – the shaft will be built on the site where Tooting Market has stood for over 80 years. The wide range of produce available sets it apart from other markets, as does the strong sense of community ingrained within its very walls. This sense of camaraderie and familiarity, plus the relationships which have been carefully cultivated over the past decades between shop owners, and between customers, is all being put at risk by the Crossrail. In a few years it could all be gone, the precious site sold off to developers, continuing the gentrification currently threatening all areas of London with a spark of individuality.
Roi Mengelgrein, the manager of Tooting Market, is very upset, and rightly so, seeing as he is the man responsible for the livelihoods of the estimated one hundred people whose jobs are dependent on the market. He called the market “a Mecca for local artists” and has stated many times his anger and sadness at the proposition. When asked, a former resident of Tooting and frequent visitor to the market remarked, “Tooting market is a one-of-a-kind hub of energy that forms an essential part of everyday life. I can’t imagine life without it. I don’t want to.”
The possible demolition of the market to make space for the Crossrail 2 shaft, also draws some parallels with the controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the local and native backlash sparked by the less than cooperative nature of the developers in charge. Although hopefully, Transport for London will be slightly more engaged with the public, and take their views, and circumstances into account.
Tooting market is evidently a key part of life for people living in the surrounding area. It is a social and cultural hub that generates more than just a profit, and many will be heart-broken to see it go.
If you feel strongly about the preservation of the market, a petition to stop the compulsory purchase of the market by developers (which would then result in demolition) can be signed here: https://www.change.org/p/tooting-market-management-save-tooting-market-don-t-allow-crossrail-2-to-compulsory-purchase-any-of-tooting-market
by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson,
The Godolphin and Latymer School
