Lib Dem Councillor Carol Caruana formally presents THOUSANDS of petitions organised by Portobello antiques traders

10.58.00am GMT Thu 4th Mar 2010

Lib Dem Councillor Carol Caruana receiving the petitions from antiques trader Christopher Hickey

On 3rd March, Portobello market antiques traders handed over the latest batch of their petitions to Carol Caruana who is Notting Hill's Liberal Democrat councillor and a long standing campaigner for the area. Councillor Caruana, weighed down by thousands of petitions, formally presented them at that night's Full Council meeting. The petition, organised by traders, calls for an end to the inconsistency in planning decisions which they fear is leading to the death of Portobello Market. The petitions have been signed by supporters of all three political parties.

During the Council meeting, the public gallery of Kensington Town Hall was standing room only as dozens of antiques traders waited for the moment when their petition would be formally handed over to the Cabinet.

According to Robin Meltzer, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Kensington, the Council's reaction to the campaign is "a weak attempt to pass the buck for their own failings." He said:

"The trouble is, the Council just don't get Portobello - and by the Council, I mean the people pulling the strings. Back in 2007, the Leader of the Council, Merrick Cockell described Portobello road as 'mess and tat' in a local press interview. True, he said it in the context of needing to protect mess and tat, but even so, these were not the words I would have used to describe a beloved institution."

Related Link:

Read Robin Meltzer's blog about how the Council reacted to the campaign.