The Site

The Grade II* listed buildings means there are limitations on the modifications that can be made to improve trading conditions and enhance the efficiency of the market.

One of the biggest challenges for Smithfield Market comes from being an open environment and the ongoing risk of mixing HGV’s forklift trucks, market workers, pedestrians, cars and cyclists.

The risk between market operations and the public is expected to become even more challenging with the opening of the Elizabeth line and the Museum of London’s relocation to West Smithfield.

 The UK’s largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market was built in the early 1990s, but some parts of the building are already outdated and there is not enough room for tenants to store and display their produce.

The restrictive site design, which has no unloading bays or delivery docks, creates substantial operating challenges, including safety issues between pedestrians and forklift truck drivers, which drive through the main market floor.

In the new market, sufficient space and better facilities for deliveries and collections can be integrated into the building, alleviating some of the current logistical challenges.

In the current location, the market cannot expand as the adjacent land is Metropolitan Open Land.

The UK’s largest inland fish market faces some of the biggest challenges given the stringent safety standards for handling fish.

A new facility would provide a temperature controlled environment.

In the new market, sufficient space and better facilities for deliveries and collections can be integrated into the building, alleviating some of the current logistical challenges.

Currently, tenants rely on ice to keep their produce chilled on display in order to meet their customers’ expectations for fresh fish and to reduce the volume of food waste.

Although the site was the closest to the existing markets, the relatively small acreage (around 19 acres) meant the market hall would be spread vertically over a number of levels, which is something that the tenants did not want.

 The site in Fairlop offered a good balance between the size and proximity to London. However, the land was designated as green belt, and had little potential to embrace more sustainable transport solutions.

The site in the Thames Enterprise Park was large, at well over 100 acres, and was accessible by rail or river at the nearby Thames Gateway Port.

However, its distance from central London was a concern for tenants.