Rickmansworth, Sustainable community market

Five years ago, Rickmansworth High Street retailers were struggling in the aftermath of Covid-19, footfall had fallen dramatically, and the traditional short-stay free parking, once the lifeblood of the street, was no longer enough to keep shops open. Both Conservative-led Batchworth Community Council and the community group Rickmansworth Town Team knew something needed to change.

At the same time, many residents were expressing a desire for a more vibrant, less polluted, people-friendly town centre. Ironically, the solution that would help retailers most, a regular market, required pedestrianising the high street, something that initially seemed counterintuitive to shopkeepers who depended on vehicle access. But with determination, collaboration, and a clear vision for sustainability, the idea slowly became reality.

Funding a new beginning

The turning point came when the district council confirmed that the proposed market was eligible for support from the Welcome Back to the High Street fund — a pot of EU-derived grant money specifically designed to help local authorities reinvigorate town centres after the pandemic. With this funding, the team was able to invest in marketing, purchase uniform gazebos for stallholders, and install floral features in areas where pavements were too narrow for trees. These improvements enhanced the character of the high street, while giving the new market a professional, cleaner, cohesive look.

Building a sustainable market

The organisers began reaching out to local makers and small businesses - many discovered through Facebook groups - who specialised in sustainable, homemade, or upcycled products. Very quickly, a community of stallholders emerged: clothes upcyclers, candle makers, craft producers, sustainable home goods creators, and other artisans, all eager for a welcoming, reliable place to trade.

Today, an estimated 80 percent of stalls offer sustainable goods and the market supports dozens of local microbusinesses. Sixth formers and school leavers are also employed to help with setup, creating additional opportunities for young people in the area.

The pedestrianisation of the high street at the weekends has resulted in more visitors using sustainable transport options. We have lots of lycra-clad cyclists, who come in for the street food and the market is very close to a train station where we advertise the event. It also helps having both a bicycle repair stall for cyclists and a dog treat stall encouraging people to walk to the market with their four-legged friends. 

Navigating the legal framework

Initially, the district council was adamant that any market must be run through them rather than by the parish council. But after two years of advocacy, they agreed to allow the parish council to run the market on the high street under the Food Act. In the UK, Part III of the Food Act 1984 gives local authorities, including parish councils, the power to establish markets in their area and regulate them via byelaws. This special legal regime means that the parish council can act as a ‘market authority’, granting licences and overseeing operations directly, rather than relying on an external body. 

As we are the licence holder, we charge graduated pitch fees which cover the extra staffing needed. As we have been given permission by the monitoring local authority to hold the licence under the act previously mentioned, we do not need to pay that fee ourselves. 

Transforming the high street

The market originally ran nine times a year. Due to its success, it now operates 11 months of the year, with special editions for Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

To accommodate it, the high street follows a hybrid opening model: after Saturday delivery hours, the road is closed so that stallholders can set up safely for Sunday’s market. This shift has created a lively, pedestrian-friendly zone once a month, which is safer and less polluted. 

And the economic impact is undeniable. On average, high street retailers report a 30 percent increase in Sunday takings on market days. Shops that once insisted they would never open on Sundays are now doing so - and benefitting. Several local businesses take part directly by trading on the street or running market-day promotions. Some shops that previously had to close their premises have returned via a market stall and are seeing strong success. 

A new heart for the community

Today, the Rickmansworth Sustainable Market regularly hosts up to 40 stalls, with around 50 stallholders registered. It has become one of the town’s most vibrant community events, drawing footfall from across the district.

Buskers and local singers perform throughout the day, charities attend to raise awareness and recruit volunteers, and organisations such as the police, the Wildlife Trust, and the Rickmansworth Residents’ Association all take part. One charity recently signed up 400 volunteers on their stall on market day.

What started as a response to post-Covid challenges has become a thriving symbol of resilience, sustainability, and community pride, demonstrating how you can reduce air pollution in a way that has the support of your community. On the last Sunday of every month, Rickmansworth High Street is no longer quiet - it is alive with music, colour, conversation, and the unmistakable energy of a town that has rediscovered its centre. What began as a pilot idea, soon took shape as a monthly market built around the values of sustainability, community, and local enterprise.

Council contact: Cllr Andrea Fraser is a Three Rivers District councillor and Chair of Batchworth Community Council