Cole Calls for Land Access as Waterloo Roadside Trading Persists
Western Area Rural District Council Chairman Kasho Holland-Cole says access to suitable land is central to resolving persistent roadside trading and congestion in Waterloo.
Speaking in an interview with Ecko Media on Thursday, Holland-Cole argued that councils cannot effectively address the problem without sufficient land to establish market facilities and relocate traders from major roads.
He said the council is considering land near Waterloo that could accommodate a larger market, including a site of about 60 acres. Holland-Cole said the proposed space would allow the council to provide traders with designated facilities instead of leaving them to operate along the highway.
He said the council would need to provide basic infrastructure such as toilets, water and security, while traders could construct or occupy appropriate stalls within the designated area.
The chairman said the objective would be to move traders away from the road rather than create another commercial development concentrated around large stores.
Waterloo has previously faced problems associated with roadside trading. In 2023, traders and local officials highlighted inadequate market infrastructure as one factor contributing to trading along roadsides, while the council said market dues formed a significant part of its internally generated revenue.
Holland-Cole also discussed the council’s approach to financing and completing market projects. He said the council could use funds generated through market fees to support some works, while larger projects would go through formal procurement procedures.
According to the chairman, designs would be prepared before projects are advertised and submitted through the required procurement process, with contractors selected after the necessary approvals.
He said the council had already constructed market facilities but acknowledged that available spaces have not eliminated roadside trading.
The challenge has persisted despite previous market construction. A 2025 report said a newly constructed market in Waterloo was insufficient to accommodate the large number of petty traders operating in the area, although that report’s estimate of the trader population was not independently verified.
Holland-Cole linked the market challenge to a broader call for stronger local government capacity. He argued that councils should have greater access to land and resources so they can respond directly to local infrastructure and service-delivery needs.
He said his interest in local government was ultimately tied to what councils could leave behind for communities, describing development projects and service delivery as part of a broader question of institutional legacy.
Holland-Cole has served as chairman of the Western Area Rural District Council. The Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone certified him as the winner of the 2023 chairperson election in the district, with 157,164 votes, or 52.51% of valid votes cast.
The council said in May that Holland-Cole had resumed his duties following the return of All People’s Congress elected officials to local governance.
His latest proposal places the availability of land and the capacity of local councils at the centre of efforts to address Waterloo’s long-running roadside trading problem.