Iconic London market set to close after nearly 800 years

A historical nutrient marketplace successful the bosom of London is astatine hazard of shutting down for good.

The City of London Corporation, which runs Smithfield nutrient market, antecedently planned to relocate it and Billingsgate food marketplace to a caller £1billion improvement successful Dagenham.

While those relocation plans were enactment connected clasp earlier this month, the corp is holding a backstage ballot this day connected whether to halt moving the markets.

Members are being recommended to hold to withdrawing from the sites – and it’s precise uncommon for the Court of Common Council to ballot against recommendations.

If they bash ballot to withdraw, the corp is expected to array a measure successful parliament truthful it volition nary longer beryllium liable for moving the market.

The corp says it plans to connection nutrient traders astatine the marketplace a ‘significant’ compensation deal, with immoderate reports suggesting that woody could beryllium worthy much than £300million.

There’s been a marketplace astatine Smithfield for much than 800 years, with the corp fixed the close to tally the nutrient marketplace and different wholesale nutrient markets backmost successful 1327.

The existent marketplace tract was built successful 1868, with Billingsgate designed by the aforesaid designer erstwhile it was redeveloped successful the 19th century.

The UK’s largest inland food marketplace was moved to its existent tract successful Canary Wharf successful 1982. The City of London Corporation runs the tract and pays crushed rent.

There are proposals to alteration the onshore of the existent Billingsgate tract for a mixed-use lodging scheme.

The City of London Corporation has been contacted for comment.

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