Covent Garden Tenants Association (CGTA) celebrated its 100th anniversary as a registered company on 6 April, a date which was commemorated by Companies House who sent the organisation a certificate to mark the anniversary.
Current CGTA chairman Gary Marshall is also the longest serving, currently having been in position for 17 years. He told the most recent edition of Market Times (the New Covent Garden Market newsletter): “I certainly didn’t intend or expect to be chairman for so long. Representing the tenants of this magnificent Market and working with my dedicated executive team has been an absolute privilege, even if not a pleasure every single day!”
The minutes of the first meeting of the committee of the Covent Garden Tenants Association Ltd were taken at the registered office of the Association, at 113 Long Acre, on Wednesday 3rd May 1922, beginning at 2.15pm.
In recent years, the Association has been a vocal voice for traders as the market has undergone large-scale redevelopment, which continues. “We weren’t consulted on the plans at the very start and that’s where a lot of the problems began,” says Gary. “When we were part of the discussion, we were told that the redeveloped Market would be smaller than the existing site, but that we would have a Market that would be fit for purpose, sustainable and work logistically… If it weren’t for the tireless dedication of myself and my executive team, who have put thousands and thousands of unpaid hours into meetings over the last decade and more, I don’t think we would have ever got to that point.
“We reached a landmark settlement agreement with CGMA in 2020, but that does not mean the work stops for CGTA. I’m happy to say that our relationship with the landlord has never been in a better place than it is now, but the unity of our tenant community will continue to be integral to our ongoing dealings with CGMA as we negotiate our way through the final few years of the redevelopment programme.”
Photo source: CGTA