17th June 2016 Developers Damage Shepherd’s Bush Market Developer Orion Land & Leisure (Chairman Mr. Richard Olsen) acquired the management of Shepherd’s Bush Market from Transport for London (TfL) in February 2014. The developer’s ambition was to acquire control of land within the Shepherd’s Bush Market area and build 200+ luxury apartments with the promise that they would regenerate (but not gentrify) Shepherd’s Bush Market and bring aid to the long-standing loyal market businesses. However the actions of Orion soon revealed that their proposals for existing businesses of Shepherd’s Bush Market would not provide the benefit we initially hoped for, but very much the opposite. They would damage and weaken the market community, reduce the worth and security of the tenancies, diminish the strength of the leases and attempt to force additional costs onto the unfortunate tenants. In the two years, which have passed the market community have seen the developers damage the vibrancy of the market, and reduce the footfall to an all time low. Tenants have sadly seen many of their neighbours losing hope and having to close their businesses and leave the market. To the fury of many tenants the actions of the developer Orion has caused a 20% drop in tenancy. Orion’s management of Shepherd’s Bush Market has been exceeding poor and Orion have failed to honour and abide by the lease stipulations causing detriment and upset to the market businesses. In March 2016 the Shepherd’s Bush Market Tenants Association and others won a legal challenge against the Secretary of State For Communities And Local Government in the Court Of Appeal and overturned the Compulsory Purchase Order made for the benefit of the developer Orion. Since this win, Orion has been hostile and uncooperative and has caused greater upset and havoc to the small businesses. The Shepherd’s Bush Market Tenants’ Association (SBMTA) and the Hammersmith & Fulham Council have compiled and documented an ISSUES LOG identifying several dozen management issues and concerns which are causing ongoing detriment to the market businesses. The Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the SBMTA had requested for Orion’s cooperation, to attend these ISSUES MEETINGS at the Hammersmith & Fulham Council, working towards resolving these numerous management issues. However Orion have shown unwillingness and refused to accept the invite to attend these meetings. A recent letter from Orion’s managing agents (Activate Assets Ltd) to the market businesses falsely claimed that it has been the SBMTA who have been unwilling to meet to address the management issues, which are all documented in the Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s ISSUE LOG. Transport for London (TfL) were the longstanding owners of Shepherd’s Bush Market. They chose to handover the responsibility of the Market to these developers who were only interested in building their luxury flats, thereby allowing the future of the innocent market businesses to be compromised. It is a disgrace that the hard working families who own these valued small market businesses are being treated so unfairly. These small long-standing market businesses deserve better. These businesses need your support. Please help stop the injustice!