Street Feast threaten to pull out of Woolwich market bid (EDIT: they won and it opens in 3 weeks)
London market operator Street Feast have threatened to pull out of operating in Woolwich at the final hurdle after Greenwich Council and the Met Police asked for restrictions on outside seating times.
If we don’t get approval for the hours we need to make this a viable project, then Street Feast will not be coming to Woolwich. We’re tired of the constant battle to contribute positively to the community and amenity of each new neighbourhood. Have your empty building back. https://t.co/uiCCS4kNJS
— Jonathan Downey (@DowneyJD) February 5, 2018
A licensing application meeting tomorrow is needed to give approval to the market. The operators want to have outside seating until 11pm but Greenwich Council and the Met Police want it to run until 9pm weekdays and 10pm on Saturdays.
Those restrictions do seem too strict. This reminds of the difficulties Antic went through in order to open the Woolwich Equitable pub. It took a long time to get approval.
11pm on a Saturday in particular doesn’t seem too much to ask for. Some people locally (both in and outside authority) appear to have a pretty narrow outlook and experience of other areas.
Much of London allows seating until 11pm in busy town centre areas. It’s hardly 24 hour drinking. Yet much of Greenwich borough is like a rural village. Actually, scrub that, most villages I’ve been to have later opening than many places in south east London.
Some of those in charge would have a heart attack if they visited other parts of the capital, let alone most UK cities and cities abroad where a late night culture really does exist.
The old argument will be trotted out that a minority may cause problems. Then deal with the minority. Don’t penalise everyone.
The site is/was due to be used as a market for around two years until its pulled down to make way for the Spray Street project of 742 homes, which was covered last week.
EDIT: Greenwich Council agreed to Street Feasts terms and they will be able to provide outdoor space until 11pm. The market opens in three weeks
What a joke. Work hard – finish work at 7:30pm. Go for dinner and a drink with friends somewhere. Where should we go? Not street-feast it CLOSES AT 9PM.
It’s ridiculous, something positive is about to happen in Woolwich, even though temporary, and someone will decide for the residents. Who is it for, for stiff people who feel they have right and power to decide how long should we stay out and enjoy socialising, or for the folks who work hard, come back home, take a shower, and want to go somewhere nice, locally. The only place I go once in a blue moon is Dial Arch, Khailash Momo restaurant and a walk by the Riverside. That’s all about my local enjoyment. I was very happy to hear about Street Feast but I knew it’s too good to be true.
I can’t believe this. Sounds more like street famine than street feast. We need more food, more live music and more entertainment in Woolwich not a curfew. Didn’t I read somewhere something about Greenwich Council wanting the new “cultural quarter” on the Arsenal to rival the South Bank? Maybe this is an early April Fool’s joke?
Street Feast is only supposed to be open Friday and Saturday and reading the Twitter thread it looks like the outdoor seating will be open until 10pm. I don’t know what the problem is for 11pm – could it be the council won’t be available to sweep the area after 10pm? If the local boozers are still open well past 11pm then I don’t see why the Street Feast can’t have outside seating until 11pm.
Yet a few meters down the road we have ‘da place’ which operates 12 hour events under a ‘TEN’ License upto 15 times a year. The last of which took place on Sunday 28th until 4am on Monday morning. Greenwich still have not responded as to why this was allowed. What a joke.
The whole thing is double standards. Da Place was in trouble for violence and ignoring rules yet carries on till 5am on weeknights. Cars park anywhere and any way they want all day every day on Parry Place.
And nothing is done by “Royal” Greenwich council.
In short there is really something wrong with the decision makers a RBG. I would laugh if it was not so serious. The area has waited for years for some decent venues and when one decides to come to Woolwich, the PLANNED course of action taken by the council is to hinder progress. Note the council sat down and came up with this meaningless objection, What does that say about the council’s train of thought.
I am tempted to believe that someone in RBG is personally benefiting from this situation.
The only way we the community/electorate are going to rectify this is to stop voting for these muppets .
I only suggest that everyone use their vote and get rid of the rot in the town hall or not only will this business not come to Woolwich but it will send the wrong message to other businesses of this standing who may wish to set up in the area.
I have no preference for any political party. In some ways one party is just the same as another, I just want the current post holders out. A change has got to be better than what we currently have and had for the last 25 years.
Thanks to everyone who has supported Streetfeast and taken on the grizzlers who are afraid of the real Woolwich. Goodness knows what the council were thinking responding with an initial early deadline. Dinosaurs or what. Myself and my friends are local pensionsers always up for a night out. We love Lewisham Model Market and Dinerama in Shoreditch. We love anywhere fun . Iam fed up with people thinking that the real Woolwich( when they venture out there) is so scary. There are a lot more people than there used to be but that adds to the security at bus stops at night. I regularly get the bus home from Woolwich at about 11/12 ish and buses are just full of people tired from a long days work. Grow up grizzlers.
Still worth monitoring Greenwich council going forward. I fully believe that were it not for FTMD and other online outlets gaining attention for this issue then the council would have rejected this whole project. What chance do good, honest, independent establishments looking to move to SE18 stand when it is such a hassle almost every time someone puts plans forward? Greenwich council have an incredibly dubious streak about them, this goes back as far to the 90’s when CAFC had to form a political party to get their ground back, ironically CAFC now do more for the local community through their community trust than I can see RBG doing .