Traders ask Mayor to save Latin-American market

Market traders have appealed to Mayor Boris Johnson to save them from developers.

Wards Corner Community Market in Seven Sisters sells Latin-American food and crafts in an area where the community has lived for 500 years.

But its 60 independent stallholders face eviction if plans to redevelop the site are approved next Thursday.

Developer Grainger has applied to Haringey council for permission for a retail and residential scheme, which would involve tearing down the market building.

Candy Amsden, of the Wards Corner Community Coalition, said: "The developers want to demolish Wards Corner and evict London's largest Latin-American market and local family businesses. Instead, they plan to build an uninspiring 'clone town' development of high-rise, gated flats - socially divisive and lacking any sense of pride or place."

As a concession, Grainger has offered to provide 12 "micro-units" for traders along Seven Sisters Road and six medium-sized units elsewhere on the site. Ms Amsden described the offer as "totally derisory".

Trader Lagu Sukumaran, who owns a herb and spice stall, said: "I have spent the past eight years developing my business with new stock and better customer relations. I invested all my savings and the proceeds from the sale of my house to finance it.

"My family will be completely devastated if we were to lose the business - there will be no future and no hope for my young children with these proposals."

David Walters, development director of Grainger, said the firm hoped to attract household names, pointing out that Woolworths and Marks & Spencer once had stores in the area.

Mr Johnson visited the market during his election campaign and said he would use his powers to defend it and set up a Latin quarter.