Mayor pledges recovery package for Camden Market

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has today announced that he will work with the London Development Agency (LDA), and Camden Council to develop a recovery package to help Camden Market after the fire which devastated parts of the market on Saturday.

This recovery package will be designed to help the affected parts of the Market resume business as rapidly as possible and to make visitors aware that most of the market is still open for business in the meantime.

Camden Market is one of London’s biggest tourist attractions attracting visitors from all of the world. It also has a long association with London dynamic popular music scene hosting artists from Madness to Amy Winehouse.

Commenting on the recovery package the Ken Livingstone said:

"Camden Market is one of London’s top five tourist attractions with around 10 million visitors each year. The market also plays a vital role in the local economy. I want to pay tribute to the bravery, skill and professionalism of the fire fighters, police officers and other emergency services who tackled the fire without loss of life and minimised further damage.

"It is essential that we get the market back up and running, as soon as is safe to do so, with the businesses that have made Camden Market the huge success it has become. That is why I am today announcing this recovery package and my commitment to work with the London Development Agency, the London Borough of Camden, Visit London and the Camden Market Traders to design the most effective possible assistance. Our immediate priority is to make sure that the whole market is open for business as soon as safety permits and to keep visitors coming to the area in the meantime."

Manny Lewis, Chief Executive of the London Development Agency said:

"Camden market is not only central to the vitality and character of Camden but is a key shopping and tourist destination for Londoners and visitors alike. To ensure Camden remains a vibrant cultural hub the LDA is committed to getting those businesses affected by the fire back up and running as soon as possible. We will be offering business and financial support to stallholders to help them recover from this tragedy and return the market to a flourishing tourist attraction."

Visit London Chief Executive James Bidwell who is supporting the initiative said:

"Camden is an important part of London's unique tourism offer and thankfully the fire over the weekend has only affected a small part of the market. Camden is still open for business and Londoners should continue to visit the area and support the market. Visit London will also be getting the message out around the world that Camden is still going strong and welcoming visitors."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• The London Development Agency is the Mayor's agency to drive sustainable economic growth and tourism development in the capital. This includes strengthening the business support for start-up firms and small to medium-sized companies, attracting overseas investment, and continuing to attract national and international tourism which boosts the London economy by £13 billion.

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