Portobello and Golborne trading

We asked residents, traders, local businesses, visitors and other stakeholders for their views on the future of Sunday trading at Portobello Road and Golborne Road, along with proposed changes to the Standard Conditions for market traders.

The consultation included an online survey, which received 145 responses, and an Instagram poll on the Portobello Market account, which attracted more than 600 votes. 

There was strong support for expanding Sunday trading, particularly on Golborne Road. More than half of survey respondents supported weekly Sunday markets on Portobello Road, while 71 per cent supported introducing Sunday markets on Golborne Road, with most of those favouring a weekly market. Respondents generally preferred Sunday markets to have the same mix of traders as Fridays and Saturdays, rather than operating solely as specialist markets. 

At the same time, some residents raised concerns about the impact of increased Sunday trading on noise, disruption, traffic management and the character of the local area. Respondents also shared views on trader pitch sizes, market layout, safety and the types of goods sold. 

The results of this consultation, together with further discussions with residents, traders, businesses and other stakeholders, have directly informed a new proposal for Portobello and Golborne Markets.

In developing the proposal, we have carefully considered both the support for expanding Sunday trading and the concerns raised about the potential impact on residents, market operations and the local environment.  

We are now consulting on these proposals in 2026 and are encouraging everyone with an interest in the markets to have their say.