Shepherd's Bush Market - Back to the Drawing Board

Shepherd's Bush Market

Plans to develop of Shepherd's Bush Market are now being started afresh, after five fruitless years locked in litigation, in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to secure planning permission for the scheme.

Opposed by the majority of market traders, and thrown out by the Supreme court last month on the basis of a technical violation of planning law by the former Secretary of State Eric Pickles, Orion's former plans to redevelop the market are now officially being abandoned. So the whole byzantine process must now begin again.

The new face of the development is U and I Group Plc, a property regeneration company "whose vision is to improve the communities in which we work". Heading up the new plans is Richard Upton, Deputy Chief Executive of U&I.  U&I have now taken over the management of Shepherd's Bush Market.

Their job is now to "build a new vision for the Market from the ground up, to make sure it has a vibrant future and enhances this historic part of London."

They have also confirmed that, after the recent reversal in the Supreme Court, U&I "will not be looking to take forward the scheme as it stands". Instead, they "will be looking at ways to improve the existing Market, as well as conducting a review of all the Market issues including: management, increasing appropriate diversity and footfall for the benefit of traders, shoppers and the local community."

The spokesman whose job it is to deal with queries from the public is John Gard. You can reach him by email at johngard@uandiplc.com, or by phone: Mobile: +44 (0)7464 829427 Direct line'. +44 (0)20 3841 2910

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