Billingsgate closure will have minimal impact on food security according to new report

Fish market traders in east London worry about losing supplies from Billingsgate, despite a new report saying that relocation plans will mitigate perceived food insecurity.

A study on the impact of the closure of the present Smithfield and Billingsgate sites on food security has found concerns to be ‘overstated’ with minimal disruption expected. 

The report, published by data and AI consultancy Artefact, found traders widely accepted that the current premises are operating at full capacity and are affected by pressures such as the Congestion Charge and restricted trading hours.

It added traders have highlighted ‘clear ambitions’ to relocate to modern facilities which better support their operations and secure the long-term future of their businesses. 

The Policy Chair and de-facto political leader of the City of London Corporation, Deputy Chris Hayward, also the markets’ landlord, said the study ‘demonstrates that the planned markets move from their existing sites is supported by traders, will allow them to grow at more modern facilities and will have a minimal effect on food supply’.

Artefact wrote: ‘Concerns over food security due to closure of the present physical Smithfield and Billingsgate sites are largely overstated. This is because the majority of UK meat and fish consumption flows through supermarket channels that operate independently of Smithfield and Billingsgate.

‘For external, non-household consumption, the presence of alternative wholesalers insulates supply chains and helps to facilitate continued supply to caterers, restaurants, and other foodservice operators. Furthermore, the relocation of traders in 2028/9 provide an opportunity to upgrade their facilities, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance supply chain adaptability, thereby further mitigating any perceived food security risk.’

The Corporation last November voted to cancel a planned relocation of Smithfield and Billingsgate, and later New Spitalfields, to a new state-of-the-art facility in Dagenham. Instead, it is to close the existing sites and pull out of running wholesale meat and fish markets. New Spitalfields is not to be impacted.

This was due to concerns over ballooning costs associated with the move, with the funds required to refurbish and future-proof the Grade-II* listed Smithfield premises also understood to be a factor. To remove itself from running the markets the Corporation had to submit a Private Bill to Parliament. The Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on January 30 and is due to proceed to the committee stage.

The Corporation has said it will support traders to move to new locations, and before Christmas released joint statements with the Smithfield Market Tenants’ Association (SMTA) and the London Fish Merchants’ Association (LFMA) indicating most have confirmed they will continue operating once they leave the existing sites by 2028/29.

Those who do not wish to move are understood to be planning to transfer their businesses to other traders. 

Prior to the November meeting when the decision was made to close the markets, The Times reported that three King’s Counsel barristers sitting as Corporation members had written to the Town Clerk warning about the vote being taken without a study into the impact on London’s food supply.

The Corporation has now produced the report ahead of it going to its Policy and Resources Committee next Thursday (February 13). The report, at 88 pages long, was compiled on the back of consultation with stakeholders including traders.

Artefact wrote that while the majority of domestic meat and fish consumption in the UK is done so via supermarkets, Smithfield and Billingsgate do play a ‘unique role’ in supporting independent smaller businesses. Between 80 and 85 per cent of orders are ‘off-the-shop-floor’, much of which is delivered directly to customers, meaning the reliance on the physical sites has decreased.

Overall meat and fish consumption per person across the UK has dropped 20 to 25 per cent in the last 20 years, the report added, and while independent retailers such as butchers and fishmongers continue to use the markets, their numbers have also reduced by 18 and six per cent over the last decade. In total, the two markets account for around nine per cent of the South East and London’s meat and fish consumption.

The study found that there was a general acceptance that the current market premises are already operating at full capacity, with concerns over the effects of pressures like the Congestion Charge and restricted trading hours. The potential of the planned redevelopment of Smithfield into a new cultural and commercial hub, including the new London Museum, and Billingsgate to deliver thousands of homes are also highlighted. Together, they are expected to generate £9.1 billion in cumulative value to the UK by 2049.

The report does however also note interviews with traders indicated some dissatisfaction with the Corporation as a landlord, with maintenance issues and the ‘abrupt’ cancellation of the Dagenham move raised. A response from the Corporation is included, in which it says preventative maintenance has been provided and while it does recognise limited investment in certain projects, this was due to the expected move to Dagenham.

On the support being provided to traders, the report added the Corporation is speaking with other London boroughs about the potential to host new sites as well as private developers.

Deputy Hayward said: ‘This comprehensive, independent study clearly demonstrates that the planned markets move from their existing sites is supported by traders, will allow them to grow at more modern facilities and will have a minimal effect on food supply.

‘The City of London Corporation’s vision for the future of Smithfield and Billingsgate is not just about enabling the traders to relocate their businesses, unlocking a new era for these historic markets; it is also about creating a thriving, sustainable city that respects its past and shapes the future. The current market sites provide exciting opportunities to revitalise these historic areas of London. We will take care to ensure new plans for the area will reflect the history of the markets.

‘Our exciting future plans will create thousands of jobs; new homes for Londoners and contribute billions of pounds in economic growth for the UK.’

Concern has been raised about the closure of Billingsgate without a replacement site lined-up. A petition filed with Parliament against the Private Bill warned of the potential impact on Hackney’s Ridley Road Market, claiming three fishmongers have said they may have to close without an alternative central market.

Another, submitted by Peter Acton, wrote the market closures ‘would severely impact countless communities, including low-income families, schools, the NHS, the police, and many others who rely on these wholesale markets for affordable and quality sustenance’.

The two markets have histories dating back hundreds of years. A market has existed in some form in Smithfield since the mediaeval period, with the current premises built in the 19th century. Billingsgate was located in the City before moving to its base in Poplar by Canary Wharf in 1982.

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