A fresh planning application for Albert Island will now need to be drawn up after the news two historic food markets will be moving there, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Albert Island and (inset, credit Haworth Tompkins) the original plans for the site

Building a shipyard at the Royal Docks in Newham “remains a priority” despite new plans to move two major food markets there, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has said.

The GLA and City of London Corporation last week announced plans to move Smithfield and Billingsgate markets to Albert Island, at the eastern end of the docks. However, Newham Council has already granted planning permission for a major regeneration project there.

The existing redevelopment plans include building “the first shipyard on the Thames for over a century” but don’t include any wholesale food markets.

A GLA spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the new shipyard “remains a priority” and that “discussions are ongoing about how the boatyard can be built alongside the markets”.

However, they acknowledged the new plans to move the two markets to Albert Island mean the already-approved scheme will have to be changed.

The GLA and the council hope to redevelop Albert Island as part of a wider regeneration of the Royal Docks in the south of Newham.

In a five-year regeneration plan published as recently as March 2024, the two authorities spoke of “bringing forward state-of-the-art industrial spaces” on the island.

They said these would include “a new shipyard delivered by the Port of London Authority” (PLA). It was to be built by real estate firm London and Regional, which won the contract to redevelop the island in 2018.

Newham Council granted London and Regional planning permission for the regeneration project in March 2023.

Approved plans included the shipyard, a “leisure marina”, an “education centre”, community facilities, shops and 16 new homes but no large food markets.

However, the City of London Corporation – which operates both Smithfield and Billingsgate markets – announced last week that it wants to relocate them to Albert Island, which is owned by the GLA.

The GLA spokesperson confirmed that the plans will now be redesigned to accommodate Smithfield and Billingsgate markets. The new scheme will then have to be submitted to Newham Council for planning approval.

They said: “The boatyard remains a priority for the GLA and the PLA. Discussions are ongoing about how the boatyard can be built alongside the markets.

“The markets proposal will require some amendment to the current permission but the main principles (comprehensive redevelopment, employment use, etc) remain valid.”

The GLA also suggested that a new developer would be brought in.

It says Newham Council and borough mayor Rokhsana Fiaz were “kept up to date with the progress being made” on discussions over the markets.

But the GLA also says those discussions “were handled by officers in the Royal Docks team, as is normal on such projects”.

Speaking at a full council meeting yesterday (Monday 8th) Fiaz said the announcement made for a “momentous week for our borough”.

She said the announcement was “the culmination of some seven years hard work, working with council officer colleagues”.

Fiaz also said the move could mean £750million would be spent in Newham, with over 2,200 jobs and £130m worth of “added value to Newham’s economy”.

The Newham mayor said: “Newham is changing, Newham is driving growth here in the capital.

“I’m proud to see Newham becoming a destination borough.”

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