Residents living above one of East London’s busiest food markets have expressed their continued concerns about how the market has made their lives ‘hell’.
Petticoat Lane Food Court, which isn’t the same as the historic Petticoat Lane Market, was established in 2009 by Tower Hamlets Council. Since then, the food court has grown from a handful of stalls to nearly 30 lining Wentworth Street, Bell Lane and Goulston St. While residents are not opposed to businesses in the area, they believe the issues the food stalls have brought to them outweigh any benefits and that more needs to be done.
MyLondon were shown pictures of fresh chicken being moved in cages, rat droppings in the storage area where food is prepared, urination marks along water pipes that feed into the flats above, and videos of smoke wafting into the flats above.
Residents who live in the surrounding buildings believe their concerns and complaints to Tower Hamlets Council have been ignored for years, and they don’t think the food court is suitable for the area. They spoke to MyLondon on the basis of anonymity while they showed us around the area.
The residents of Arcadia Court and Merchant House have formed a Food Court Action Group. They say they have been forced to deal with rats in their properties, constant noise from traders setting up before their allotted time, blocked drains due to oil and grease poured down them, and properties that are harder to sell.
As stalls fill with city workers waiting for their lunch, they are unaware of the impact it seems to be having on local residents, according to the Food Court Action Group, the campaign group residents have set up. They say they are not against the businesses and want to see people doing well but believe the council have prioritised their needs over the residents.
One person said: “I think obviously the council thought, let’s diversify with a few food stalls. And it’s taken off, creating this sort of Frankenstein’s monster where they are no longer in control. All they know is that it’s really busy and it’s a success.
“Now, it feels as if they’re pitting the historic businesses against the food courts because they can’t do their trade. They’ve prioritised the food court over local businesses, but also over residents.”
‘I cough up black soot’
One local who suffers from multiple sclerosis and has lived above the market since 1998 said: “The smoke goes into the hallways of our flats as we aren’t able to close the windows. Every summer, I have to go away for three to four weeks, as the smoke is too intense and it affects my breathing. I will cough up black soot. I don’t think I would have this condition if I hadn’t lived here.
“Then, you have them preparing food in a place where rats and mice are in our garage, chopping up chicken there – I’m surprised there hasn’t been some sort of outbreak. We’re not against business but think they should be relocated to somewhere more appropriate, more suitable, that has the facilities [needed to store food].”
Many of the venues have been given a 5 on their food hygiene ratings; residents queried their ratings due to the lack of public facilities. Whether it is a lack of hand-washing facilities, public toilets or adequate food preparation areas, the residents claim they don’t see ‘how it’s possible that they all passed’.
Piles of rubbish regularly build up in the car park, which traders have access to, and residents claim they have to repeatedly come together to pay for its removal and cleaning.
The rat and mouse problems that the residents encounter are among the major issues. MyLondon was shown pictures and videos of rats in people’s kitchens, rodents caught in mousetraps, and rat droppings in the garage area where food is transported.
One resident said: “You come into the car park and you see the rat droppings. You see the food waste everywhere. I had a rat in my flat, it’s not fun to live with. You have people whose cars have been chewed into.”
Pictures of rats and mice are shown to MyLondon, as residents have collated images and videos over the last few years to show the extent of the issues they are facing. A trader meanwhile told MyLondon they ‘abide by the rules’ in place.
‘They’ve prioritised the food court over residents’
The residents believe the food court does not meet their needs or those of the businesses that occupy the units. Residents said their engagement with Tower Hamlets Council has been ‘good and bad’. They claim that they have seen some of their complaints about fire safety, storage, and urination addressed, yet it is the lack of continued enforcement that is leaving them frustrated.
The group even created a petition to ‘end the nightmare’ and close the food court.
MyLondon reached out to Tower Hamlets Council and to the Streetmarkets team.
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