Plans to move the City of London wholesale markets to Dagenham Dock were submitted to Be First, Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration arm, today (3 June).

The planning application proposes to move Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield markets to the 42-acre site of the former Barking Reach Power station, at Dagenham Dock.

If approved, the site will be the largest wholesale food market in the UK.

Councillor Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “These proposals are a ray of sunshine in the otherwise gloomy COVID-19 climate and a massive vote of confidence in Barking and Dagenham as a place to do business.

“Dagenham is now a hive of activity with the construction of the UK’s largest data centre and University College London’s  (UCL)Pearl research facility  now underway, and London’s largest film studios on track to be built here too.

“These developments will create thousands of jobs locally, which will make Dagenham one of the most dynamic parts of the capital and will help power east London’s economy which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis.”

Pat Hayes, Managing Director of Be First, said: “The plans to move the markets supports our aspiration to make Dagenham Dock a state of the art business park and build on the area’s impressive rail and port infrastructure to create a major growth hub for the Thames Estuary.”

The public consultation on this application is now open for local residents to comment on the proposals online.

The planning application will be presented to the council’s planning committee later this year.