Fulham Market Hall Coming to Broadway in Spring
Work begins creating food court within long empty site of former station ticket hall
Artist's impression of new Market Hall
Work has begun transforming the former ticket hall of Fulham Broadway Station into a new Market Hall, which is set to open in spring.
The site, one of six being developed across London, will have ten separate kitchens run by independent operators and a bar, with seating for up to 180 people and will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The prominent Broadway site next to the shopping centre, housing the well-preserved ticket hall dating back to 1880, has stood empty since the closure of grocery store Union Market in February 2012. Over the last five years there were various rumours about new operators taking it over, but none of these came to fruition.
However, as we reported last summer , a planning application was submitted to H&F Council to open a food court on the premises, at 472 Fulham Road and was subsquently given the go ahead.
The application was as follows:
Erection of a canopy with signage to the front elevation; change of use of former arcade and ticket hall to a contemporary food court, comprising predominantly A3 uses with ancillary A4 and A5 use; and associated external and internal alterations.
The application can be seen here.
Among the supporting documents, a Planning Statement produced by consultants Montagu Evans says that the company involved, then called The Agora Market would comprise twelve individual kitchens and a bar. The kitchens would be licensed to 'Trading Partners' who would operate the kitchens on a short term basis.
It has now emerged that the new market halls are an initiative by former property investor Andy Lewis-Pratt and Simon Anderson, who describe themselves as "a group of UK based, community-minded property investors and restaurateurs who will be redefining the British concept of food halls and turning unloved public spaces, with architectural and historic interest, into permanent public spaces once again."
Andy Lewis- Pratt adds that they want to create "dining hub"s that work for the community: " “The majority of buildings we are working with were originally designed as bustling cultural or commercial hubs, but for whatever reason have been lying empty. We wanted to bring these sites back to life and make them useful spaces for the community."
An announcement about the kitchens joining the Market Hall is expected next month.
January 26, 2018
January 26, 2018