A street market “on a par” with the one in Greenwich could be coming to Croydon if a gallery owner’s plan comes off.
Kevin Zuchowski-Morrison hopes to turn the area around St George’s Walk in Croydon town centre into an arts quarter after setting up Rise Gallery in the promenade last year.
And another one of his ideas to improve the area is to fill the street with stalls where creative people can sell their wares.
Stallholders would alternate day by day so on one day there might be vintage, another day arts and on another jewellery.
Mr Zuchowski-Morrison said it would be similar to Greenwich market near Cutty Sark DLR station, but reflect Croydon.
He said: “We will have lots of different things.
“It will be reflective of Croydon’s diverse culture and the stuff on sale would be very diverse.
“We want a quality market where everything will have to follow a submission procedure.
“All the profits made will go back into St George’s Walk.”
He stressed this would not be established as a rival to the 750-year-old Surrey Street food market just metres away.
If his application for £20,000 from the Mayor of London’s High Street Fund to get the market started is successful, he hopes to have it up and running by April.
Croydon's diverse culture will be reflected in the proposed market
But if not, he plans to launch a kickstarter campaign online so people can get behind the market, as well as putting some money into it himself.
The market fits in with Croydon Council’s vision to create a cultural quarter to help regenerate the town, with Fairfield Halls at the heart of it.
Last September the council’s cabinet approved part of the town centre being designated as a cultural quarter – the area designated by councillors runs from opposite East Croydon station to include Croydon College and Fairfield Halls, Queens Gardens, the Town Hall and the Clocktower and to Exchange Square and Croydon Minster.
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