EMPORIUM UPDATE - ACV GRANTED
■ Camden Council has agreed to protect the Hampstead Emporium as an Asset of Community Value ("ACV") following a campaign supported by Hampstead Conservatives
■ The Emporium, one of the last remaining indoor markets in London and much loved across our community, is threatened with permanent closure. Traders have been turfed off the site and it's feared it will be developed into luxury flats.
■ The ACV status makes it harder for a developer to get planning permission to turn it into flats. Hampstead's Old White Bear and Magdala pubs were saved from conversion to housing by ACV status, after campaigns strongly backed by local Conservative councillors
■ In November, councillors Stephen Stark and Gio Spinella put forward a motion demanding that Camden grants ACV status to the Emporium. Many residents signed our petition backing the plan. Cllr Stark joined other local Conservatives at the protest last Saturday against the closure.
■ We are glad that Camden listened to us and the traders - who have put in hours of hard work to get this far. We will continue to support them and do everything we can to save this local institution.
■ Cllr Stark had a positive meeting with the new owners (Safeland PLC) today (10/1/23) to learn more about their intentions for the Emporium. Their Managing Director was quite clear that they want to run it as a market but first they need to refurbish it and maximise the space. Over many years the space has deteriorated through a lack of investment. The Emporium will require a considerable amount of money to be spent on it This sounds very promising and the new owners and Cllr Stark will continue their dialogue.
Cllr Andrew Parkinson andrew.parkinson@camden.gov.uk
Cllr Gio Spinella gio.spinella@camden.gov.uk
Cllr Stephen Stark stephen.stark@camden.gov.uk
