The City of London’s governing body, the Court of Common Council, took the difficult decision on Tuesday (26 November 2024) not to proceed with its plans to collocate its wholesale food markets on a new site in Dagenham, East London, and also to close the present Billingsgate and Smithfield markets in the coming years. Much has been said in the media and on social media about the decision. This was the essence of my contribution to Tuesday’s Common Council debate:
I am proud to represent the Ward of Farringdon Without, the home of Smithfield Market for hundreds of years.
I am passionate about the City’s custodianship of all our Markets and all we have achieved in supplying the capital’s food for centuries.
I was excited at the prospect of the Markets Colocation Programme and the impact it would make to both London’s food security and employment in East London.
But I am also passionate about the Corporation: its thousand year history; its continuing existence.
Our ability to promote the City, London, and the UK; to support the arts and culture; to protect open spaces; and to educate children and young people; as well as so many other activities.
That is why in this debate, I must be a realist.
And the truth is this, we can simply no longer afford to move our fish and meat markets to Dagenham, nor can we afford to keep them where they are.
And that is why we are in the invidious position today, considering this report.
The emotional me, my heart, does not want to say goodbye to Smithfield, or to my many constituents and colleagues there.
But the rational me, my head, says that we must.
It is time to change.
C. E. Lord OBE 