Information pack

• Monthly Sunday market launching in the heart of Chiswick
• 15 pitches available to independent horticultural businesses
• Highly accessible location, with strong local demand and 600k people with 3 miles
• A professional community-led initiative in partnership with LB of Hounslow

Artist’s impression of the Flower Market

Introduction

Chiswick Flower Market will open on the first Sunday of every month in the heart of Chiswick’s High Road, bringing back to life our former Market Place.

It will sell plants, flowers and associated horticultural products, as well as other complementary goods with a strong sustainability ethos.

It will look to develop a reputation across London for offering high quality and interesting products, as well as being a top destination for Londoners on a Sunday.

We want to be the Columbia Road of the West but different – capitalising on our rich horticultural heritage, our ease of access by public transport and our vibrant local shops and restaurants.

We are a Community Interest Company, run by committed volunteers on a not- for-profit basis with strong suport from local residents and businesses, as well as the London Borough of Hounslow who are our partners. Any surpluses will be invested back into the market and the High Road.

We want the market to be a catalyst for the growth of independent businesses, well-being and environmental awareness, as well as helping our High Road remain vibrant and relevant in the internet age.

The market will attract a wide variety of different stallholders

Tell me about the Market!

Where is the market?

The market will be held in the former Market Place, outside the police station in the heart of Chiswick High Road. It is currently used as a car park.

When will it be open?

It will open between 9.30am and 3pm with market set up from around 8am, subject to local consultation.

We hope to launch in September 2020 but due to the uncertainty around Covid-19 it may be delayed by a few months.

Tell me about the pitches and rents?

Each pitch is 6m by 3m, and details of the rents are available from the organisers. They are laid and marshalled out to enable the market to have social distancing rules applied. A higher density can be accommodated when rules are relaxed. We will also consider pitches 3m by 3m if requested, especially once social distancing is no longer required.

Who runs the market?

The Chiswick Flower Market CIC will be the market authority, and will also provide market management and security, recycling and cleaning in conjunction with LBH.

How easy is the Flower Market to get to and park at for stallholders?

Chiswick is at the start of the M4 motorway giving easy access to stallholders. Parking for vans (e.g. Lutons) will be available within 50 metres of the market, with a space allocated to each stall.

Who will shop at the market?

The market will be aimed at both the local community and the wider population of London, with a professional marketing campaign aimed at both. There are 600,000 people within a three mile radius of the market.

The public can get to Chiswick via the District Line (Turnham Green), London Overground via Gunnersbury and via our mainline station from Waterloo and Surrey. There are also numerous bus routes.

What do the council and locals think?

The Leader of the Council is strongly committed to the market and has allocated sufficient high-level Officer time to make this happen.

A packed public meeting in February showed great enthusiasm for the market, and an online survey which we published in May revealed exceptional levels of support and a desire to shop at the market. Local celebrities (of which Chiswick has many!) are also offering to support the market.

The market will offer high quality and interesting products

Market Layout

Chiswick Flower Market will be held in the former market place, which is more than 70m long and over 15m wide at its widest point.

We are closely monitoring Government guidelines, but are anticipating that open air markets with a marshalling system in place, will be permitted by September.

All stalls will be 2m apart, and will run in a single line from Devonshire Road to the Police Stations. We anticipate a single entrance and exit, with a marshalled one-way system enabling a comfortable flow of customers, queuing areas for customers, and to allow sufficient areas for traders to maintain social distance for themselves.

We will follow guidance provided by NABMA, and from our local authority.

Chiswick has many wonderful outdoor areas, such as Chiswick House and Garden, a spacious and wide High Road, and local parks – so we hope that it will appeal as a destination for an enjoyable and safe experience for visitors to our market.

What will be at the market?

We have space for up to 15 stalls in our first phase.

Stallholders would be expected to bring their own set ip equipment (tables, gazebos etc) and to have a professional appearance.

The CIC would consider hiring stalls if sufficent numbers of traders felt that easier, and that it would enhance the appearance of the market.

An area has been set aside for a cargo bike delivery service as we plan to offer free home delivery for market purchases within a two mile radius.

There will be a busking area with high quality entertainment, and a children’s craft area. The market will also celebrate seasonal events and themes such as a Halloween and Christmas. We hope that the first market will be a celebration of the re-opening of our community.

The market is being carefully curated, with each stall looking to bring something different, offering diversity to shoppers and profits to traders.

Sustainability is important to us and we encourage traders to use local growers where possible and to reduce the use of plastic.

The market will start as a pilot project. The intention is to test it on the first Sunday of every month. This will provide feedback and experience for the market to grow in the following season and to become a well-established part of London’s life.

Stallholder mix

We are looking for expressions of interest from a wide variety of different stallholders to bring an unique mix.
We would like to hear from:

• Florists, including specialist florists and those selling specific products such as hanging baskets
• Bedding plants
• House plant and house plant specialists, including terrarium providers
• Grow Your Own providers
• Perennial specialists
• Seed and bulb suppliers
• Tree specialists, including fruiting trees
• Pond and acquatic plant suppliers
• Horticultural products such as pots, gardening equipment and any other garden related accessories

The market is being carefully curated, with each stall looking to bring something different

Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you.

We appreciate these are really difficult times for everyone, and that the horticultural industry is going to find 2020 really hard.

Our plans were conceived in late 2019 but we think that the market has even more relevance to help the horticultural industry and the businesses of Chiswick get back on their feet.

We are here to help you and to work together to make sure this happens. The CIC has a number of talented people with skills across horticulture, marketing, market management, licensing, finance and funding, and events.

We can help by providing some volunteer labour on the day, to working with you to promote your business through the Chiswick Flower Market in the run up to and after the market opens.

Get in touch with us via info@chiswickflowermarket.com or call us on 07939 272426 or 07779 326345.