01-05-2025
Councillors promise to urgently address safety fears at London's top tourist food market
Tap above to watch video report by Simon Harris
Councillors say they will take action to address fears over safety at London's top tourist food market - Borough Market.
Crowds of shoppers often pour out of one hall into another and run the gauntlet of cars and vans as they cross Bedale Street.A report by crowd control experts estimated shoppers pause for vehicles - or drivers hit the brakes to avoid pedestrians - 800 times a report calls them interactions.
"We commissioned the report because we know that Borough Market can be very busy at peak times," said Shane Holland Chair of Borough Market Board of Trustees.
"The safety of everyone who comes to the market and all of our traders is paramount.
"We commissioned an independent survey to look at how we can mitigate some of those issues," Mr Holland one end of the market Stoney Street was closed to traffic after the London Bridge terror attacks in 2017 and the concrete bollards were meant to be at the other end of the market in Bedale Street there are no bollards so visitors and vehicles jostle for MP Neil Coyle thinks that needs to change.
"There are too many near misses - there are far too many people trying to use a road and pavements that is not managed very well," Bermondsey & Old Southwark MP Mr Coyle said.
Borough Market is no local street market but a significant landmark on the London tourist trail.
The market's popularity as a destination for both foodies and tourists grew rapidly after the Covid lockdowns.
The area now attracts 30 million visitors a also become hugely popular on social media - in particular Instagram and McCourt has been a butcher at the market for a decade and thinks Southwark Council's traffic management policies have made matters worse.
He said: "They are closing roads all around the surrounding area, they are narrowing roads and taking away loading bays so they are forcing more traffic to come here."
There are problems for cabbies too.
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Steve McNamara from the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association said: "The more roads you close, the more traffic you put on other roads.
"London is already Europe's most congested city - are we going to make that worse?"
Southwark Council told us it was urgently working with the police TfL and the market to look at safety.
Councillor James McAsh from Southwark Council's said: "The safety of our residents, visitors and traders is a top priority for us.
"We're urgently working with the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, Borough Market Trust and traders to look at safety at Borough Market.
"We will ensure all parties are kept informed of this work as it progresses."
