Transformation of the NCP car park on Saffron Hill

Saffron Hill Investment Holdings is bringing forward proposals for the future of 45-54 Saffron Hill, a site bound by Farringdon Road to the East, St. Cross Street to the South, Saffron Hill to the West and Saffron Street to the North.

The building is currently in use as a car park, with office space over two storeys at the upper levels, and is highlighted as a building that makes a negative contribution to the Hatton Garden Conservation Area.

Therefore, the project team are developing proposals to replace the existing building with a new, best-in-class, highly sustainable commercial building that better relates to the surrounding local context. A dedicated website has been created for this proposal.

Ruby Hotels to open second hotel in London

The 154-key Ruby Stella will open in London’s Clerkenwell district and is the latest instalment in the ‘Lean Luxury’ hotel brand’s ambitious expansion plan…

Following a theatrical launch in Dusseldorf, Ruby Hotels, the Munich-based hotel brand and pioneer of the ‘Lean Luxury’ philosophy, today announces plans for a second UK property, in London’s Clerkenwell, to open in the first quarter of 2024.

The hotel will shelter 154 rooms, ranging in size from cosy ‘Nest’ rooms (13-15m²) to expansive ‘Loft’ rooms (23-38m²), a stylish bar area, a communal work station and a library. All guest rooms will showcase Ruby Hotels’ sleep-scientist-approved formula for the perfect night’s sleep, with full soundproofing, blackout curtains, high-quality linen and extra-long and wide custom mattresses.

A laid-back, contemporary design will see quirky touches such as the inclusion of a Marshall guitar amp in each room, which guests can use both with their own guitar or one borrowed from reception, and ‘Ruby Radio’, the hotel group’s own internet radio station.

Cutting-edge technology will be on offer throughout the property; in each room guests will find a personal tablet PC pre-loaded with Ruby Hotels’ carefully-curated London city guide, social media apps and unlimited data and calls to use throughout their stay. A state-of-the-art self-check-in system will make use of tablets to reduce check-in time to under one minute, leaving guests free to make the most of their stay.

Just like the group’s other houses, Ruby Stella will follow Ruby Hotels’ ‘Lean Luxury’ philosophy: a top location, high-quality fittings, and outstanding design. All of this is offered at an affordable price by rigorously cutting out the superfluous and focusing on the essential.

For example, a trendy communal space will serve a healthy, locally-produced breakfast without the need for a kitchen or chef, and instead of overpriced minibars and room service, galley kitchens, vending machines and ironing stations will supply guests with all of their needs. Likewise, a modular design sees Ruby hotels occupying mixed-use and former office buildings in the heart of the city, rather than the traditional, prestigious addresses with sky high rents typically favoured by hoteliers.

Smithfield and Billingsgate markets are leaving central London for Dagenham

Two of London’s oldest meat and fish markets are leaving the centre of the capital to move east following plans approved by the City of London Corporation.

Billingsgate and Smithfield markets will relocate to a purpose-built site at Dagenham Dock in east London, next to the A13, as part of a £1 billion project. A private bill will now be sent to parliament to confirm the City’s decision.

The move follows plans announced in 2019 to combine the wholesale markets under one roof along with New Spitalfields. It is still planned for the fruit, vegetable and flower market to move to Dagenham eventually, but New Spitalfields will remain at its current site in Leyton for the foreseeable future.

The City acquired the 42-acre Dagenham site, currently occupied by a power station, in 2018. The brownfield land will be transformed into a wholesale food market expected to be one of the largest in Europe over the next five years.

The move from Smithfield has faced vociferous opposition from the meat traders, who had threatened to invoke a royal charter to remain at the Farringdon site. The new market is expected to bring 2,700 new jobs to the borough of Barking and Dagenham — an increase from the 1,140 workforce currently employed across both markets — and support 7,850 jobs across the UK.

The closure of Smithfield as a market ends over 800 years of history of trading meat at the site. Billingsgate fish market, meanwhile, moved to its current Docklands location in 1982 from a Victorian building on Lower Thames Street in the City that has been converted into an exhibition and events venue. It is hoped that the closure of the Canary Wharf site will free up the land for the construction of 2,000 new homes.

Inner London has lost almost all its historic markets since the Second World War, although they have found a new life as retail and restaurant destinations. The former poultry market of Leadenhall and fruit-and-veg market of Spitalfields are now dining hubs feeding City workers, while the West End’s former fruit-and-veg market of Covent Garden has become one of the capital’s major tourist attractions for shopping and eating.

Smithfield Market is set to house the re-located Museum of London, which closes at its Barbican site on December 4 and will re-open in its new home as The London Museum in three years. Now a wholesale meat market in the centre of the city is something else that has passed into the 2,000-year history of the capital.

Farringdon primed to become London’s most fashionable district

If you wander northwards out the City towards the borough of Islington, you’ll find historic Farringdon – home to the world’s first Underground station. 

Sitting on the edge of the Square Mile between Clerkenwell Street, St Paul’s, the Barbican and North London, Farringdon has transformed over the years to become one of London’s most fashionable areas to live and work. 

A hub for creatives, foodies, shoppers and businesspeople, vibrant Farringdon is pitted to receive even greater development in the coming years, following the recent addition of the Crossrail. With its new Elizabeth Line and upgraded Thameslink connections (set for completion in 2023), Farringdon will become one of the country’s busiest stations, with approximately 200 trains per hour – an average of one departure every 20 seconds, according to the Thameslink Programme. 

To find out more about the neighbourhood and one of its newest developments – Postmark – we sat down with Alex Greaves, Sales and Marketing Director of Taylor Wimpey Central London. 

What makes the area of Farringdon special? Farringdon is arguably one of the city’s best-connected areas. With five Underground stations all within a short walk, as well as Overground services and the newly opened Crossrail, you can access almost anywhere in London and further afield with speed and ease. It’s an area that has always attracted creative types, and there’s loads of spots to head to for a culture fix such as Barbican Centre. It’s ideal for foodies too, with a great selection of bars and restaurants like Iberica, La Petite Ferme and, of course, along Leather Lane there’s some of the best street food in the capital. 

What types of property are on offer? There’s a real mix of property, both period and new build. One of the latest additions to the area is Postmark, our new development which shares its location with the former Royal Mail sorting office and brings a wide range of high-quality apartments, with a great selection of resident amenities too. 

Tell us more about the new Taylor Wimpey project in Farringdon. Postmark, Taylor Wimpey Central London’s exciting development in the heart of Farringdon, is fast becoming a central new destination for London, bringing 681 luxury homes together with new public realm and an impressive retail and commercial offering, including the already-open Mousetail Coffee. The first residents are now settled into their new homes, with the community fast growing and the next chapter soon to come. The latest phases, Signature Place and Folio Gardens, offer spacious open plan living accompanied by stylish design. Residents of Postmark enjoy hotel-style amenities at the Wellness Centre, including a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment room and state-of-the-art gym. Once complete, over half the site will be home to public and private outdoor space, including open squares surrounded by retail and gardens with play areas. Occupying a prime position within Farringdon, Postmark offers superb connections throughout the city and beyond, including from the Elizabeth Line, just a short walk away. Prices at Postmark start from £950,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. 

Who is buying the properties? At Postmark, we’ve seen interest come from all over the world. Both Londoners as well as those from overseas have been drawn to the fantastic lifestyle offering here, as well as the superb connectivity and excellent educational facilities. The variety of houses and apartments has helped to establish an eclectic, community, from students and young professionals through to families and downsizers. At Postmark, the range of apartment sizes from studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments has attracted everyone from young professionals and families to those searching for a pied-a-terre. 

How do you predict the area will develop in the next five years or so? With London life booming, over the next five years, we expect the area to continue to evolve. Renowned businesses such as TikTok are moving to the area which adds to the already well-establish creative community here – and we expect other businesses to follow the trend. We expect to see the housing market evolve over the next few years. Postmark itself – which sits at the meeting point of EC1 and WC1 – is already coming to life and this is only set to continue in the next few years, creating a new must-visit destination in the heart of Farringdon. Looking ahead, there’ll be exciting new retail openings as well as new public realm and green space for those visiting, living and working in the area.

First concept designs for Smithfield East & West Market buildings and Rotunda unveiled

A first butcher’s at Smithfield plans

Meat traders at famous site still in dark over whether they will be moved out to Dagenham

How the new ‘reimagined’ Grade II-listed Smithfield could look

PLANS to convert the historic Smithfield meat market into a “cultural, commercial, and creative space” have been unveiled while butchers remain in the dark as to whether their business will be moved.

The City of London Corporation is considering moving the wholesale meat sellers, who have occupied the space for more than 150 years, out of the Farringdon site to Dagenham.

Architects Studio Egret West have been tasked with “reimagining” the Grade II-listed building to allow for pop-up stalls and temporary shops while the renovation takes place.

When the Tribune went to speak to workers at the market, several said they were still clueless as to what would be happening to them in the future.

One employee, who has been working at the market for 53 years but only gave his name as Alan, said: “I think this place will end up like Covent Garden, it is the way London is becoming. If you look around here there are no market cafés, it’s all Subways and £4 for a cup of coffee.”

An architect’s vision for interior – ‘a place for exposition and entertainment’

The 73-year-old added: “The market isn’t what it used to be either. It’s more like Tesco’s now and we have people wandering through and looking at us like we’re animals in a zoo.”

Another butcher said: “We don’t know anything about what’s happening. I just come in here and do my job and go home.”

We contacted the Smithfield Tenants Association but a spokeswoman said she had no comment to provide.

A new tube station is set to open directly outside the entrance to the market.

David West, founding director at Studio Egret West, said: “We are excited to explore the evolution of Smithfield Market, working closely with the City of London Corporation, key stakeholders and the wider community.

How the new museum – with green roof – will look near the meat market

“Thanks to connectivities that did not exist previously, Smithfield is set to attract a new influx of people and, should the meat market move, Smithfield Market could be transformed in a highly flexible and imaginative way, creating a place for meeting and making, growing and exchanging, exposition and entertainment.”

A separate planning application has been submitted by the Museum of London to demolish and rebuild part of the west end of Smithfield as part of a £337million new site.


Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City, said: “This is a significant step forward in our journey to deliver on our wider ambition to create a vibrant and new world-class Culture Mile at the heart of the historic Square Mile. Alongside the new Museum of London, these plans will create exciting, new creative uses and public spaces, attracting workers, residents and new visitors to the area alike.”

Consultation launches on plans to bring Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield markets to Dagenham

The former Barking Reach power station at Dagenham Dock is set to become the home of three markets.

Plans to unite three markets at a new site in Dagenham Dock are set to go out to public consultation.

The City of London Corporation is seeking feedback on proposals to bring Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield markets to the site of the former Barking Reach power station.

The 42 acre site is set to feature modern facilites and an educational element, potentially a new training school for the market traders and food workers of the future.

Catherine McGuinness, who is in charge of policy at the City of London Corporation, said: "Our number one priority is to provide a top-quality market environment serving London and the south east - not just fit for today's needs but also for tomorrow's.

"The move to Dagenham Dock will enable our wholesale markets to flourish, providing more modern facilities and space for our tenants to grow so that they can continue to support London's food economy.

"The launch of these new plans shows we are one step closer to realising our ambitions for this site - a vision which will help us create a modern and sustainable co-located food location, serving existing and future generations across London and the UK."

Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, added: "The proposed new home for London's markets promises to bring a huge economic boost to the borough, and our priority will be to make sure that local people have the skills and training to take advantage of the employment opportunities that will arise.

"So, it's especially important that our residents and local businesses share their knowledge of the area and respond to the consultation to ensure that we can ensure the markets operate smoothly, and flourish and grow in their new location."