London’s Smithfield and Billingsgate markets find new home in Docklands

A former industrial site in London’s Docklands has been named as the new home for the capital’s ancient Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market, under plans unveiled by their owner.The proposal by the London-corporation" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="1574" data-entity-type="organization">City of London Corporation – the governing body that runs London’s Square Mile and also operates the markets – would relocate both to Albert Island.The 10-hectare (25-acre) site, close to London City airport, is owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and has been earmarked for regeneration. The corporation has estimated the move would generate £750m in local expenditure and would bring 2,200 jobs to the London borough of Newham, one of the most deprived in the capital.The announcement comes just over a year after the corporation voted to permanently close Smithfield and Billingsgate when it pulled the plug on a planned £740m relocation to Dagenham, blaming rising costs.The corporation, which is exceptionally wealthy compared with typical UK local authorities, faced a backlash over the decision amid objections to plans to permanently close the ancient food markets and build on the sites.Sea bass on sale at Billingsgate fish market. Photograph: Karen Mcveigh/The GuardianWhile the corporation owns and runs Smithfield in central London and Billingsgate near Canary Wharf in east London, their long history means they were established by acts of parliament that fix them to the existing sites. They can only be closed when parliament passes a private bill, repealing the legislation and allowing the land to be used for other purposes.A group of east London fishmongers from Ridley Road market in Hackney, east London, had objected to Billingsgate’s closure, saying it would put them out of business. The intervention threatened to disrupt the passing of the corporation’s private bill through parliament.In June, the corporation said it had established a regeneration team to help find a new location for the meat and fish markets, amid plans to turn Smithfield into a cultural destination and the Billingsgate site into new homes.There has been a food market around Smithfield – close to Farringdon train station – for more than 800 years. Two buildings on the site are being redeveloped, and the London Museum is scheduled to open there in late 2026.The traders have been told they can continue in their current locations until at least 2028, and the corporation said most had previously agreed to move to a new site.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionWork in progress for the new London Museum to be housed within the historic Smithfield market buildings in central London. Photograph: Museum of London/PA“There’s a lot more to do – and a developer to be agreed – but this is undeniable progress,” said the corporation’s policy chair, Chris Hayward, adding that the proposal would usher in a “new era for these historic markets”.Greg Lawrence, chair of Smithfield market traders’ association, said the announcement was a “significant step forward”.He added: “This location offers traders the space and opportunity to grow our businesses while continuing to serve customers across London and the south-east.”The corporation said it had signed an agreement with the GLA to work on the Albert Island proposals, although market operations at the site would need planning permission from Newham council.The new markets – which would be known as New Smithfield and New Billingsgate – would continue to operate their apprenticeship programmes, the corporation said, while a new food school would also be built on site.