7 hours Ago
Those are the words of Tony Lyons, who has been selling fish at Billingsgate Market for 37 years. His daughter is also heavily involved in the business – A. A.
Lyons – and he is the proud chairman of the London Fish Merchants Association. Tony was referring to the City of London Corporation’s decision to close both Smithfield and Billingsgate Markets in a secret Court of Common Council meeting on Tuesday, November 26. At that meeting, the corporation agreed to cancel a proposed relocation of the historic markets, plus eventually move New Spitalfields in Leyton to a new purpose-built facility in Dagenham.
Billingsgate Market is set to close (Image: LDRS) The corporation also agreed to pay compensation to traders at Smithfield and Billingsgate to vacate the sites and enable them to be put to other uses. The plan is for Billingsgate to be redeveloped for homes. It moved from the City to its current Poplar site in the early 1980s and is the country’s biggest inland fish market.
To officially withdraw from running the markets, the corporation has deposited a Private Bill with Parliament. This will then go before either the House of Commons or the House of Lords in January and, if the bill has Parliament’s backing, will enable the corporation to de-marketise Smithfield and Billingsgate. In a press release issued after the meeting, the chair of policy and resources and de-facto political leader of the corporation, Deputy Chris Hayward, said traders will receive support to move to new locations.
The fish market is in Poplar (Image: LDRS) He said: “By stepping back from direct market operations, we will help to create opportunities for these businesses to thrive independently. "We’ve worked closely with the traders and thank them for their input and understanding. We’re committed to making sure they have the financial support and guidance they need to transition seamlessly and successfully to new locations.
” The corporation said operations will continue at Smithfield and Billingsgate until at least 2028. The feeling among traders at Billingsgate however appeared more mixed when the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited on November 27. One, who did not wish to give his name, said the history of the markets plus concerns about food security raised questions about the decision to close both sites.
He said the proposed relocation to the new facility in Dagenham appeared ideal to secure the future for the markets. “There’s been no major investment in [Billingsgate] and they needed to move. Composite sites for markets is the way to go.
” He added that the news that the markets would potentially close had been a "bombshell" for traders. He said there are particular considerations for those operating at Billingsgate, which is a wet market and well-suited for the sale of fish. “We really need to be in an environment that’s designed for this.
“It’s not as straightforward as the corporation is saying.” Scott Unwin (Image: LDRS) Scott Unwin at Bobby’s Fish told the LDRS he is yet to get his head around the decision. “It hasn’t hit home yet,” he said.
“We are still a bit upset.” He said traders understood things had to change due to operating in an old building, though that they had initially believed they would be moving to a "beautiful state-of-the-art market". “These markets were built to feed the people of London.
“To take it away was a bit of a bombshell.” Asked about his future plans, he said: “Where do we go from here? I haven’t got an answer to that.” Tony struck a more optimistic tone on the future for Billingsgate Market, though did express concerns about the closure of the existing site.
He said when he found out that the move to Dagenham was cancelled, he was "absolutely gutted". He added: “We had a big involvement in the planning of it, it would have given us a state-of-the-art place to trade from, it would have given us a facility that we need. “I’m saddened by the fact that at this moment in time people are going to think that London is not going to have a fish market.
” But Tony remains hopeful. He said he is confident there will be interest from companies wanting to retain the market in some form. He also suggested that moving away from being under the ownership of the City of London may have its benefits, with there being occasional issues getting decisions finalised by the corporation’s hierarchy of committees.
Asked about the future of Billingsgate, he said: “It’s not just about me. This is an institution, and it has to keep going.”.
