The Chiswick Flower Market team are starting a conversation about the Future of Chiswick Markets and our High Road.

We are inviting local residents to join the conversation with a public meeting on Monday 10th October at 7pm at the Boston Room, at the back of the George IV on Old Market Place.

Register here.

Three years ago our High Road was in dire straits with too many empty shops and a general feeling of gloom about its future. The pandemic caused further changes. In September 2020 the monthly Flower Market was launched, shortly followed by the Antiques Market, and the Cheese Market, run by fellow Chiswick-based volunteers. Since then Chiswick has begun to rise up the national High Street ‘vitality’ indexes, and there seems to be a new buzz around the High Road. We have won plaudits from local and national press, and place-making bodies. The departure of the police station with its subsequent development, the completion of the cycle lane, new trends in Working from Home, and a re-evaluation of the benefits of the ’15-minute’ city provide a moment to reflect on how we want our High Road, and in particular the central shopping area designated as Old Market Place, to evolve.

The current infrastructure is tired and crumbling, it needs refreshing and revitalising. We need to be greener, more resilient, future-proofed. Hounslow has commissioned various consultants in recent years who are working on proposals for Chiswick. As local residents, we would like to make sure the proposals reflect the community’s in-depth knowledge and ideas.

The Flower Market team, all local residents working pro bono, have already put improvements back into the High Road. As well as spearheading the market-led Sunday revitalisation and replanting the High Road beds, the team installed Christmas lighting and a Christmas tree last year, and organised the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. We have recently run surveys of visitors, residents and local businesses. We have been working on a market strategy document, and in parallel we have commissioned a landscape architect, Luke Greysmith, to draw up proposals for the revitalisation of the Old Market Place area.

Presentation:

• Kathleen Mitra, Director, CFM: Survey results
• Ollie Saunders, Director, CFM: A commercial strategy for Old Market Place
• Karen Liebreich, Director, CFM: Introduction
• Luke Greysmith, Landscape Architect LGLA Projects Ltd: Proposals for OMP
• Open discussion

We invite you to come and hear the results, view the proposals, and feed in your suggestions and comments. Please join the conversation, which kicks off on Monday 10th October at 7pm at the Boston Room, at the back of the George IV on Old Market Place.

Register here.