Kingston’s Ancient Market Place stays shut until 18 October after fire

Kingston’s Ancient Market Place will stay closed until Sunday 18 October after an inspection following Tuesday’s fire turned up more safety problems, Kingston Council has said.

The closure began on Saturday and will last nine days. The council said officers found “a number of further safety concerns” when they inspected the site on Friday. It will use the time to carry out repairs and get the damaged stalls ready for demolition before cleaning up the square.

Shops and businesses around the edge of the market that were not hit by the fire are trading as usual. Only the market stalls are shut.

Kingston market traders: pitch fees and temporary sites

Council leader Andreas Kirsch said traders would not be charged pitch fees during the closure, and that the council was urgently looking for temporary spots for those who lost their stalls. “The safety of everyone who uses the market is our priority,” he said.

Council officers are also looking at ways to reduce the earnings traders lose, and are working on this with Between The Bridges, which runs the market.

What caused the Ancient Market Place fire

The fire began in the early hours of Tuesday, and a fridge with an electrical fault was thought to be the cause. At least 25 firefighters tackled it at about 4.30am, and the flames burned for at least an hour and a half. Eight people were evacuated from nearby properties and several stalls were completely destroyed.

London Fire Brigade has declared the fire accidental. The Metropolitan Police looked into it and said there was nothing suspicious.

Before the fire, the 800-year-old square had more than 25 permanent stalls open from 10am to 5pm, seven days a week, including a fishmonger, greengrocers, a florist, an artisan bakery and food stalls. Kingston’s oldest surviving market records go back to the early 1200s.