- What The City of London Corporation’s plans to relocate London’s historic markets
- Why Three historic markets set to move to Dagenham Dock
- What next Target to open markets by 2025/26
The City of London Corporation has submitted a planning application to relocate three historic markets – Billingsgate, New Spitalfields, and Smithfield – to the former Barking Reach Power Station at Dagenham Dock
First mooted earlier this year, the move will create the UK’s largest wholesale food destination over the 42-acre brownfield site. The planning application is expected to be determined later this year, with the relocation due to complete in 2025 or 2026. Alongside relocating the market tenants, plans for the site incorporate a new training school for market traders.
The submission of the planning application follows a public consultation in January this year, while the decision to relocate the markets away from their traditional central London homes was put forward in 2018.
Under initial plans, the site of Billingsgate will house a mixed-use development once the relocation completes, while New Spitalfields will be set aside for a housing-led scheme. Smithfield, meanwhile, will be reimagined for cultural uses.
Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City of London Corporation said: “The submission of our outline planning application is another significant step in our journey to creating a new wholesale food market for the UK, London and the South East in Dagenham Dock.
“Relocating the historic Smithfield, New Spitalfields and Billingsgate markets will secure their futures, providing much-needed modern facilities and spaces for our tenants to grow, so they can continue to support London’s food economy for the next generation.
“We are excited that our markets colocation project comes at a time when the borough has ambitious plans for its development. Together, we can play an important role in driving the economic recovery.”
