"after both markets appeared destined for closure last year when rising costs forced the Corporation to abandon a £740 million relocation plan to Dagenham. At the time, traders feared the historic meat and fish hubs, which have supplied London for more than eight centuries, would be lost entirely. Instead, the Corporation has now earmarked a 10-hectare brownfield site at Royal Docks, next to London City Airport, offering a lifeline to traders and preserving a piece of the capital's commercial heritage."
"Greg Lawrence, chair of Smithfield Market Traders' Association, welcomed the news, calling it a "significant step forward" for the industry. "This location offers traders the space and opportunity to grow our businesses while continuing to serve customers across London and the south-east." For traders who have worked the markets for generations, the announcement ends months of anxiety and uncertainty. Many had feared that permanent closure would wipe out long-standing supply chains and devastate independent fishmongers and butchers across the capital."
Smithfield and Billingsgate will move to a 10-hectare brownfield site at Albert Island in the Royal Docks, adjacent to London City Airport. The relocation follows the cancellation of a £740 million Dagenham plan due to rising costs that had threatened permanent closure. The move requires Newham Council planning approval and a private bill in Parliament to repeal Acts tying the markets to their current sites. The Corporation estimates the project will generate £750 million in local economic activity and support about 2,200 jobs. Plans include a Thames shipyard, a marina and wider regeneration, and traders say the site offers space to grow businesses while preserving supply chains.
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