A south London street market with al fresco dining is set to be made permanent, with improved paths, a cycle lane and rain gardens.
Wandsworth Council has redesigned Totterdown Street Market so it can be made permanent, with works to begin as early as autumn if it receives final sign-off.
The market, which has food and drink stalls, has been running on a trial basis since May 2024. The council introduced it by pedestrianising Totterdown Street between St Cyprian’s Street and Blakenham Road, then putting stalls alongside tables and chairs so customers can enjoy al fresco dining undisturbed by passing traffic.
Shrubs and bushes in colourful planters were also installed around the seating areas.
A new report by council officers said 62% of respondents to a consultation, carried out from May 2024 to February 2025, wanted to see the scheme made permanent. It confirmed officers have put together designs for the permanent market, including improvements to paths and the road, a cycle lane, dedicated loading bays, rain gardens and planters - and secured funding to install it.
The council’s Transport Committee welcomed the plans on June 19, but raised concerns about the success of the market so far. Conservative councillor Daniel Hamilton said it was a “great scheme” but warned he had seen low footfall at the market when he had visited.
Labour councillor Sean Lawless also quizzed officers on whether the permanent designs would make the market more attractive, as he said many residents who had opposed it in the consultation were concerned about how it looked.
Henry Cheung, the council’s head of engineering, said the permanent market would be an improvement on the temporary scheme and “provide the environment for it to blossom”.
If the council’s Cabinet approves the proposed permanent scheme, at a date yet to be confirmed, it would be delivered in two phases. The first phase, focussing on the pedestrianised zone between St Cyprian’s Street and Blakenham Road, could begin in autumn. The second phase would see works to the section of Totterdown Street linking St Cyprian’s Street to Tooting High Street.
