Vauxhall's New Covent Garden Market

The future of Vauxhall's New Covent Garden Market is being considered by Government Ministers.
http://www.vauxhallandkennington.org.uk/news.shtml

New Covent Garden:- "Vauxhall City"?

Still little more than a gleam in the eye of developers, this project would open up the area around the Nine Elms Lane, along and behind the riverside between the St George development and the Battersea Power Station development. It would inlcude land currently occupied by the New Covent Garden Market, the Stationery Office, a number of mail/parcels businesses and others.

But the project might gain momentum if Government Ministers decided to close the New Covent Garden Market:-

Ancient laws require fresh produce to be sold in four separate London markets. Fish must be sold in Billingsgate Market - originally on Lower Thames St in the City but now in Docklands. Meat must be sold in Smithfield Market - still on its original site. And fruit and veg must be sold in Spitalfields - originally near Liverpool St Station but now in New Spitalfields in Leyton, North-east London - or in Covent Garden Market - originally north of the Strand but now in New Covent Garden in Vauxhall. The new Covent Garden Market went into severe decline as supermarkets etc. began to bypass it, but has since diversified.
http://www.vauxhallsociety.org.uk/Covent.html
and see the report mentioned below for more detailed histories of the New Covent Garden Market.

A report in November 2002
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2002/021122a.htm
said that the four markets would not survive unless they became mixed markets and "one stop shops". The report recommended that central London should be served from New Covent Garden, but the Corporation of London (who own the other three markets) strongly disagrees and backs the New Spitalfields Market. It would not be surprising if the Government were to back Spitalfields in view of the development potential of the Vauxhall site and the consequent financial benefit for the UK taxpayer who would probably benefit if the Covent Garden Market Authorty were to be wound up. A decision is expected in or after May 2003.

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