News that the City of London Corporation is to close Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market for good by 2028, abandoning plans to relocate them to a new £1bn Dagenham Docks development, is slowly being absorbed by Smithfield traders.
The corporation decided in a separate vote last November to permanently close Smithfield and Billingsgate when it pulled the plug on a planned £740m relocation to a new site in the east of the capital at Dagenham, blaming rising costs.
The announcement by the City of London Corporation in November that Smithfield market is to close after almost 900 years of trading has been met with surprise and dismay. Many Londoners fear Smithfield's special sense of place will be lost for good as a result.
It has been confirmed that Dublin's Victorian fruit and veg market in Smithfield will finally reopen in 2026. The historic red brick building on Mary's Lane, between Capel Street and Smithfield, has remained empty since its closure in 2019 to facilitate redevelopment.
To give customers time to buy and prepare their meat for sale the same day, the market opened at night. Workers finished their shifts in the early morning. Many headed to “early houses” – pubs within the market or nearby which opened early for workers.
London's 900-year-old Smithfield meat market to close as Dagenham move abandoned
Is Spitalfields market closing?
New Spitalfields Market, another market in London focused on fruits and vegetables, will not close as part of the City of London Corporation's move, according to the press release.
If the plans proceed, the Smithfield site will become home to the new London Museum, while the land at Canary Wharf that will be unlocked by relocating Billingsgate could provide around 2,000 new homes, it said.
As the largest wholesale meat market in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, Smithfield Market is a cornerstone of London's culinary scene and a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts.
Is London's 850 year old Smithfield meat market set to close?
The mainly covered market will close by 2028, said the City of London Corporation, explaining that it had dropped its plans to relocate it to Dagenham, in the capital's eastern suburbs, a project that had become "unaffordable" due to "external factors, including inflation and the increasing cost of construction." Since ...
The Dagenham site was acquired by the City in 2018 from Barking Power Ltd, and announced as a potential option for bringing Smithfield, Billingsgate and, initially, the Leyton-based New Spitalfields fruit and vegetable market, also owned by the City, together in the same place.
Is Smithfield and Billingsgate historic London markets to close after over 800 years?
The corporation announced the permanent closure of London's historic Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market in late 2024, when it pulled the plug on a planned £1bn relocation to a new sitein the east of the capital at Dagenham.
3/3 Smithfield Market's planned move to Dagenham has been scrapped. Chetwoods confirmed to the AJ that work on the megaproject planned for the former Barking Reach Power Station had stopped.
On 26 November a decision was taken by the Court of Common Council to end the planned move of Billingsgate and Smithfield markets to a new location in Dagenham, and instead to provide financial support to the traders to enable them to move to new locations of their choosing.
The shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on January 28, 2025 under the ticker symbol "SFD." The offering is expected to close on January 29, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs & Co.
The oldest meat and fish markets in London, which date back 850 years, are facing permanent closure from 2028. Smithfield meat market, near St Paul's Cathedral, and Billingsgate fish market in Canary Wharf are to be closed after the City of London Corporation voted to withdraw support for them.
Subject to the successful passage of the Bill, the redevelopment of the Smithfield site will create an international cultural and commercial hub, complementing the London Museum. The Grade II listed building will be reimagined to preserve its history while evolving into modern, state-of-the-art facilities.
Entry to the Christmas Market is free of charge while for certain attractions such as the Ice Rink and Ice Museum, advance purchase of tickets is recommended via the website. Tickets for the Big Wheel are available on site. Find out more at www.christmasspectacular.ie.
Billingsgate's site near Canary Wharf is set to be transformed into some 4,000 new homes; meanwhile, Smithfield is set to be regenerated into a “cultural and commercial hub” to accompany the new London Museum, set to open next year in a once-abandoned section of the market.
The City of London Corporation has decided to combine the location of all three of its wholesale markets. This includes Billingsgate, New Spitalfields, and Smithfield Market. They will be moved to a site at Dagenham Dock.
Smithfield Market is the largest wholesale meat market in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. Located within the Square Mile of the City of London it is housed in two Grade-II listed buildings.
The City Guides run walking tours of Smithfield for members of the public on a monthly basis. Hear how Smithfield meat market has changed throughout its 800 year history and experience its working life first-hand on this special tour.
The City of London Corporation, the ultimate owner of the property, has been engaged in public consultation to assess how best to redevelop the disused property and regenerate the area.
