First of three pilots gets support of Apprentice boss Lord Alan Sugar

A HACKNEY street market will be back in business this weekend for the first time in more than a decade.

Chatsworth Road in Lower Clapton will once again be hosting stallholders on Sunday. It is the first of three trial runs to test for the prospect of a regular market in future.

Chatsworth Road Traders’ and Residents’ Association (CRTRA), working with Hackney Council, will be running the pilot market days as part of its campaign to revive the site, which once saw John Cohen, the founder of Tesco, and a young Alan Sugar, from Upper Clapton, seal their deals.

Lord Sugar, who grew up on the Northwold estate in Upper Clapton, gave his support to the relaunch on micro-blogging site Twitter today (Friday).

He said: “Great to see Chatsworth Road Market re-opening Sunday!”

This weekend’s small market will comprise up to 20 stalls set up between Dunlace Road and Blurton Road. It will also be open from 11am to 3pm on Sunday, December 5, and for a special festive sale the following Sunday (December 12).

Cllr Ian Rathbone, CRTRA chairman and Leabridge ward councillor, said: “The benefits to the community will be tremendous – a place to meet people and keep community spirit going and a place to sell goods without all the huge overheads of shops, giving a greater variety of goods available and helping the local economy.”

Remy Zentar, owner of L’Epicerie caf� and delicatessen and CRTRA treasurer, said the market would not damage existing businesses and would attract more customers to the area.

Omar Nissar, manager of Carnival Cards, said: “The market returning would really brighten things up.

“It’d be a day out for the children, too, and if people come and see the market going on, they’ll explore the whole street and area more.”

Sunday’s market follows years of campaigning after the market closed due to waning business in 1998.

The council has agreed to the three pilots with an eye to establishing a permanent market in 2011.

For more information about running a stall, go to the CRTRA website at www.chatsworthroade5.co.uk.