Smithfield and Billingsgate markets to close

[Blaze]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje050wz22qo

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.

The Smithfield premises will be turned into a "new cultural and commercial hub, which includes the new London Museum".
The Billingsgate site "now been earmarked to provide thousands of new homes".

It seems the Corporation would like the markets to relocate to ...... Dagenham. Naturally, there's some reluctance to go there.
Changes to licencing, Brexit and Covid have led to the demise of the markets and without the support of the Corporation, they are finished in London.

[Pathca]

It’s very sad. The city needs to support its history not build glass boxes

[hughnique]

I doubt the present fish market, Billingsgate has been around for 850 years, in fact it used to be down near the monument by London Bridge, I can remember going there on my way to work to pick up either a box of large prawns or smoked haddock. Smithfield did start to get meat there as worked a couple of hundred yards away, but TBH you did not get the finest quality, all that was taken by the big dealers, so Joe Public got what was left.. Happy days though

[beejay]

It’s very sad. The city needs to support its history not build glass boxes

The current versions exist in name only. The history remains unchanged if one looks for it.

I can remember visiting both markets on the earlier premises and the original Covent Garden fruit & veg market. Al least the latter has retained the site and some buildings for modern use.

[Hotrodder]

My best friend in UK worked in the old Covent Garden site most of his life. He told me endless great stories of life there. I think he died a little when that was closed down and moved to Nine Elms. One night I changed a head gasket for one of his pals there in the car park while they worked. Happy Days.

[niemeyjt]

It’s very sad. The city needs to support its history not build glass boxes

History is becoming a dirty word.

What the Londoners have voted for are 20MPH limits everywhere, pop-up cycle lanes, LTNs and various other anti-vehicle measures which probably meant getting into these places was becoming more and more difficult.

Joni Mitchell sung a song about it.

[Hotrodder]

I often wonder why people still choose to live there when all these things are making life difficult.

[DaveW]

My son lives and works in central London as I did for many years. The fact is that most people who live and work there don’t have cars, they don’t need one. The public transport system is very good in London, making getting about relatively easy and fairly cheap. The residents would be happy to make the area in zone 2 as free of pollution as is possible, ie all electric. I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was good to see that a lot of the black taxis and almost all uber cars are electric, not sure about the buses.

[MAD87]

I often wonder why people still choose to live there when all these things are making life difficult.

Access to jobs, training, etc?
I grew up in London and whilst I wanted out by the time I was in my late teens, it wasn't possible.

[Hotrodder]

I lived in Medway for many years and various friends and family lived in London so I had plenty of opportunities to see how they lived. Most did have cars, and all of them moaned about the cost of rent, etc. It seemed they were addicted to the city life, concerts, theatre, fancy restaurants, etc. Luckily they were mostly high earners so could afford it. Whenever I returned home after a visit to them in London I needed a shower, such was the pollution in the air.