Charlie Davis, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst, has written to Berkeley Homes regarding their decision to evict pop-up traders from Pegler Square in Kidbrooke Village.
The letter asks Berkeley Homes to delay any decision regarding the future of traders beyond March 2024 when the traders are currently due to leave the area, as well as requesting that Berkeley Homes meet with Davis and the local traders to understand their concerns and find a compromise that would allow the traders to remain in Kidbrooke Village for the foreseeable future.
The letter can be found here: https://www.elthammatters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Berkeley-Home-Letter.pdf
The call comes after the traders were given an initial stay of execution following Berkeley Homes delaying the date traders had to leave from this November to early next year.
The decision has been taken by Berkeley Homes as new commercial tenants move into the units within Pegler Square. To date the developer has not met with the existing traders to explain the decision or understand the impact that it will have on their businesses.
Stefano Frigerio, Founder of Caffé Carretto which is currently based in Kidbrooke Village said, ‘I’ve been based in Kidbrooke Village since 2020 and my business, like many of the traders, has become part of the community in the Village. Now we are being told to leave without an opportunity to engage with Berkeley Homes. This decision is putting many of our livelihoods at risk, we are happy to work with Berkeley Homes to find a solution if only they would speak to us.’
Charlie Davis said, ‘The traders in Kidbrooke Village have been a vital part of the community over the past few years and have breathed life and vibrancy into the Village. The fact they are being asked to leave without so much as a conversation with Berkeley Homes is deeply disappointing. I’m asking Berkeley to meet with me and the traders, and try to find a solution which allows the traders and new commercial tenants to coexist in harmony.’
More details about the campaign to keep the traders in Pegler Square can be found on the Greenwich Wire here (https://greenwichwire.co.uk/2023/12/05/kidbrooke-village-traders-who-se…;
