Ridley Road Shopping Village to close following ‘ongoing antisocial behaviour’

Ridley Road Shopping Village is set to close temporarily in the coming weeks. Photograph: Johann Arens

Ridley Road Shopping Village will temporarily close next month following ongoing reports of “ongoing antisocial behaviour linked to the premises”.

The indoor market in Dalston will be shut from 31 March 2026. According to representatives for Larochette Real Estate – the offshore private developer which owns the premises – traders were issued hand-delivered notices on Tuesday, 17 February.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police issued a Community Protection Warning to the building owner and management company in relation to the antisocial behaviour.

A note seen by the Citizen from Rainbow Properties, which represents Larochette, said the decision to close the shopping village came “following formal engagement with the Metropolitan Police”.

“The police have identified continued incidents of antisocial behaviour including knife crime, drug dealing and threats of violence that present risks to public safety and require decisive action to prevent further harm”, the note continued. “Despite a number of arrests, it has not been possible to stop this behaviour and therefore this closure is essential to ensure community safety”.

“Despite a series of management interventions and cooperation with partners including the community safety teams at the London Borough of Hackney, incidents have continued”.

According to Rainbow Properties, Larochette hopes the closure will allow for a full review of the premises’ security arrangements and management to “ensure the premises meet the standards required by the police and local authority”.

“The company is committed to working closely with the Metropolitan Police and relevant agencies to address the concerns raised.

“While many traders and visitors conduct themselves responsibly, the safety of the wider community, staff, and legitimate businesses must remain the overriding priority.

“This action is intended to support the implementation of stronger preventative measures and to ensure that, when the market reopens, it can do so in full alignment with police and community safety requirements”.

The note also said traders had been encouraged to contact Hackney’s Markets team to find other locations from which to run their business while the shopping village is shut.

The closure affects the ground floor. The artists’ studios on the first and second floors will be able to operate as normal.

Larochette purchased the shopping village for £6.5million in 2016. In July 2024, it put a proposal to the council which, if successful, would have resulted in the building of seven apartments on the building’s second floor.

The application, which was rejected that October, was widely criticised at the time by anti-gentrification campaigners.

At the time, Cllr Zoë Garbett said the plans would provide “no council properties […] which are much needed in the area”.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “We found out about La Rochette Real Estate’s decision to close Ridley Road Shopping Village from 31 March on Tuesday afternoon (17 February). This is a decision taken by the landlord.

“We recognise the impact this decision will have on traders in Ridley Road Shopping Village, and we are working to provide advice and support where possible. The council remains committed to securing a sustainable and safe future for the indoor market space, subject to appropriate legal and commercial safeguards.

“The council takes public safety extremely seriously and works closely with the Metropolitan Police and community safety partners to address issues of crime and antisocial behaviour across the borough”.

The Citizen has contacted the Metropolitan Police and Larochette via Rainbow Properties for more information.