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.