Supporters of the Save The Portobello Market Campaign called for a referendum on a directly elected mayor for Kensington and Chelsea.
The campaign's Facebook website tells followers that only 2533
signatures are required to force a referendum. The hope is to break
the council's traditional power base and bring in new blood to
secure the future of the market.
As ATG went to press, 22 local voters had signed up, but with
37,655 followers on the Facebook site - that's nearly 400 more than
three weeks ago - more are expected to follow.
The launch of the campaign coincides with the withdrawal of two
planning applications affecting antiques shops - at 285 Westbourne
Grove, and at 287-289, opposite the controversial All Saints
development - that were due to be considered by the borough's
planning committee on May 27 and June 1.
As reported in ATG No 1991, the applications took the battle
into the borough's Pembridge Villas ward, whose councillors had
previously seemed open to the idea of new development and seven-day
trading in Portobello but now face protests from their own
constituents.
Meanwhile, the Good Fairy site on Portobello Road, in the hands
of administrators since the freeholders, Carmac Portobello Ltd,
went into administration in the middle of May, has been put up for
sale with a guide price of £2.5m.
All bids for what is being promoted as an "investment or
development opportunity", must be in by July 1.
By Ivan Macquisten
Follow us on:
