18 C O N T E X T 1 2 0 : J U LY 2 0 1 1 ism Locali ocalism Localism L lism Localism Localism ocalism Localism Loca ism Localism Localism Localism Localism Loc alism Localism Localism ROSIE SHAW Listing Brixton Market The outh London community played a major role in achieving recognition of the importance of Brixton Market as an architectural manifestation of post-war black cultural history. The listing of Brixton’s markets at Grade II in spring &"!" came after a number of years and a turbulent listing and review process. It is a significant decision, not only in that it is the first to consider the importance of post-war immigration in the UK, but also in that it demonstrates the value that community perception can have on a listing outcome. The initial listing application was made by the Twentieth Century Society in February &""$, following the publication of a consultation document by Lambeth Council which illustrated the redevelopment of Granville Arcade, the latest of three. Not unsurprisingly, the English Heritage advice was not to list. TheTwentieth Century Society and English Heritage are both concerned with the assessment and preservation of architecture, and are perhaps unfamiliar with broader, more culturally or socially focused aspects of the historic environment. A discourse conducted at this level would be pressed to elevate the architecturally modest market arcades to a position worthy of statutory listing. This highlights an important point.There is a notable division between professional opinion, founded in the familiar realms of architectural or historic significance, and public opinion which may be inclined towards broader, less tangible issues. What is most important about Brixton’s three covered markets – Reliance Arcade (!#&+–(), Market Row (!#&$, Andrews and Peascod) and Granville Arcade (!#+(–$, Alfred andVincent Burr) – is not the buildings themselves, but what they represent: the cultural history which has become embodied in the fabric over time.The markets, constructed to house traders displaced from Brixton Station Road during road widening, developed piecemeal over the inter-war period. Though modest, they do present a rare survival of this building type. After the second world war,Afro-Caribbean immigrants began to come to the UK, many settling in this area of south London and looking for work at the former Labour Exchange on Coldharbour Lane, next to the markets. The traders in the market began to cater for the new communities. Over time many became traders themselves, bringing a distinct identity to the area and, in particular, the markets. Over the post-war era this community, along with innumerable others, has settled in Brixton. The markets have become something of a melting pot of culture. The colourful, vibrant setting provides varied produce and an affordable shopping centre for the local community. It is a much loved space. These distinct cultural values were not explored in the initial listing request. It was on these grounds that a single member of the community requested a review from the secretary of state and on these grounds that it was granted.The review presented the first opportunity for the community to express its perception of the markets to the DCMS. This situation itself reflects an obstacle within listing processes: key aspects of a building or site Market Row, built in "%#$, one of Brixton’s three covered markets
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