Romford Open Market
Romford Open Market is a thriving 3-day open air market dating back hundreds of years and owned and managed by the London Borough of Havering.
Quarterbridge was appointed to prepare a financial and operational ‘Best Value’ review to see if performance could be improved. The added complication being that any changes would need to avoid clashes with the London Local Authorities Act which in effect controls street trading licences within London boroughs.
Improved footfall patterns
Although attendance was good the footfall patterns had changed as a result of nearby developments. Quarterbridge designed a revised layout to remove the ‘dead ends’ and recommended improvements to the DLO waste management contract to suit. Our financial review also enabled us to recommend a simplified charging and parking tariff. Self-erect markets where Traders provide their own stalls pose significant Health & Safety risks. Quarterbridge undertook an operational review and prepared new standard operating procedures to minimise them and updated trading licences and management regulations to suit. Changes were introduced through a series of consultation workshops attended by Traders and Shopkeepers and the better layout helped to improved footfall and occupancy.
Dealing with challenges
Romford Open Market is a good example of how challenges may affect efforts to improve a Market in a London Borough. Fortunately Quarterbridge has the right combination of practical experience and legal skills to deliver.
- Layout redesigned to counter changed footfall patterns
- Improved H&S supervision and SOP’s
- Waste management arrangements improved
- Financial review enabled simplified charging
- Improvements introduced whilst complying with the LLA
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