{{Short description|Fruit and vegetable market in London}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox building | name = New Spitalfields Market | image = New Spitalfields Market on a Sunday Morning - geograph.org.uk - 335930.jpg | image_alt = | caption = | location = Leyton, [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]], [[London]], England | coordinates = | construction_start_date = 1987 | completion_date = 1991 | opened_date = May 1991 | owner = [[City of London Corporation]] | floor_area = 31 acres (13 ha) | building_type = Wholesale market | facilities = 115 trading units, cold storage, ripening rooms, parking, offices, catering supply units | website = [https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/markets/new-spitalfields-market Official website] }}
'''New Spitalfields Market''' is a fruit and vegetable market on a {{convert|31|acre|ha|adj=on}} site in [[Leyton]], [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]. Located in [[East London]], the market is owned and administered by the [[City of London Corporation]]. The market is Europe's leading horticultural market specialising in exotic fruit and vegetables - and the largest revenue earning wholesale market in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Spitalfields|url=https://newspitalfieldsmarket.co.uk/|access-date=2020-08-26|website=newspitalfieldsmarket.co.uk}}</ref>
== History == It had previously been located at [[Old Spitalfields Market|Spitalfields Market]] just off Bishopsgate, on the east side of the [[City of London]] in the [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets]]. Due to traffic congestion, lack of space for parking lorries, as well as out of date market buildings (e.g. poor [[refrigeration]] facilities) - the market was relocated out of the Tower Hamlets in the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 2007|title=London Wholesale Markets Review (PDF)|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/file/12723/download?token=j4mEZDd6|access-date=26 August 2020|website=[[Greater London Authority]]}}</ref> This followed the move of [[New Covent Garden Market|Covent Garden Market]] and [[Billingsgate Fish Market]] out of the city centre. The new, purpose-built location in [[Leyton]] opened in May 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of New Spitalfields Market|url=https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/business-support-and-advice/wholesale-markets/new-spitalfields-market/history-of-new-spitalfields-market|access-date=2020-08-26|website=[[City of London]]|language=en}}</ref>
The wholesale fruit and vegetable market at [[Stratford Market]] - founded in 1879 by the [[Great Eastern Railway]] as a competitor to Spitalfields - also closed and consolidated at the New Spitalfields site.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Cherry, Bridget.|title=London. 5, East|date=2005|publisher=Yale University Press|others=O'Brien, Charles., Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1902-1983.|isbn=0-300-10701-3|location=New Haven, CT|oclc=57431801}}</ref> The old market on the edge of the city was subsequently regenerated, becoming [[Old Spitalfields Market]] - with a range of public markets as well as independent local stores and restaurants.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Visitor Information|url=https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/visitor-information|access-date=2020-08-26|website=Old Spitalfields Market}}</ref>
== The market today == The market hall houses 115 trading units for wholesalers dealing in fruit, vegetables and flowers. Modern facilities in the market hall include cold storage rooms, ripening rooms and racking for [[pallet]]ised produce. The site has extensive parking facilities for customers, delivery vehicles and market personnel.
There are four separate buildings providing modern self-contained units for catering supply companies. Over {{convert|9688|sqft|m2|0}} of office space is also provided, and there are five ancillary accommodation units with cafes, toilets and maintenance facilities. The services of a diesel/propane supplier, specialist pallet services and [[forklift]] truck maintenance companies are also available. Security for the market is provided by the [[City of London market constabularies|Market Constabulary]].<ref>{{cite web|title=New Spitalfields Market > About Spitalfields|url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Business/Markets/New+Spitalfields+Market/about.htm|work=City of London website|publisher=[[City of London]]|access-date=2 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929233939/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Business/Markets/New%2BSpitalfields%2BMarket/about.htm|archive-date=29 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The [[Old River Lea]] runs on the western edge of the site.
==Future== In early 2019, the City of London Corporation's main decision-making body, the Court of Common Council, proposed that [[Billingsgate Fish Market]], New Spitalfields Market and [[Smithfield Market]] should move to a new consolidated site in [[Dagenham Dock wholesale market|Dagenham Dock]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tobin |first=Olivia |date=28 April 2019 |title=Historic Smithfield Market to move as preferred new location revealed |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/historic-smithfield-market-to-move-after-800-years-in-central-london-a4126721.html |website=www.standard.co.uk}}</ref> A formal planning application was made in June 2020,<ref name="ZGP-03Jun2020">{{Cite news |last=Garner-Purkis |first=Zak |date=3 June 2020 |title=City of London lodges plans to move historic markets to Dagenham |work=Construction News |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/buildings/city-of-london-lodges-plans-to-move-historic-markets-to-dagenham-03-06-2020/ |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> and received outline permission in March 2021.
However, in November 2024, the Court of Common Council announced it did not intend to proceed with these plans as they were no longer economically viable; instead, Billingsgate Fish Market and Smithfield Market would close in or after 2028 with no replacements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-26 |title=Smithfield and Billingsgate: Meat and fish markets to close |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cje050wz22qo |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> New Spitalfields Market was unaffected by the decision and would continue as a key London hub for wholesale fruit and vegetable produce.<ref>{{cite news |title=City of London Corporation ends markets' move to Dagenham as traders decide their next move |url=https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/city-of-london-corporation-ends-markets-move-to-dagenham-as-traders-decide-their-next-move/ |access-date=27 November 2024 |work=City of London Corporation |date=26 November 2024}}</ref>
==See also== *[[List of markets in London]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/supporting-businesses/business-support-and-advice/wholesale-markets/new-spitalfields-market New Spitalfields Market] on the [[City of London Corporation|City of London]] website *[https://newspitalfieldsmarket.co.uk Spitalfields Market Tenants’ Association]
{{coord|51.556689|-0.019526|region:GB-WFT_type:landmark_scale:5000_source:wikimapia|display=title}} {{London markets}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Waltham Forest]] [[Category:Wholesale markets in London]] [[Category:Food markets in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Leyton]]