Smithfield under threat: Inquiry opens into future of western market buildings

Smithfield - General Market Building - Interior  Smithfield - General Market Building - Interior  Smithfield - General Market Building circa 1890 City Corporation approves demolition despite viable opportunities for reuse

An Inquiry opened on 6 November 2007 into the future of the historic western market buildings at Smithfield in London including proposals for the wholesale demolition of the Victorian General Market Building, an integral part of the historic market complex and the Smithfield Conservation Area. The City Corporation has failed to “market test” the site and wishes to approve these proposals, despite serious interest from developers who want to reuse the buildings. 

English Heritage will argue that:

• the General Market Building, Annexe Market and Red House Cold Store, individually and as a group, make a positive contribution to the Smithfield Conservation Area and should be retained in accordance with Government planning policy;
• the proposed demolition of the General Market Building would seriously damage the Conservation Area, removing one of the four principle halls of the market complex and denying the Smithfield area its ‘front door’ on Farringdon Road;
• the City Corporation has flouted Government planning policy by neglecting the buildings which it owns and failing to offer them on the open market for reuse before agreeing to their demolition and alteration;
• there is clear evidence to show the General Market Building can be repaired and viably reused in a way which will add to the creativity and diversity of the Smithfield area;
• the proposed replacement - a seven-storey block - would be intrusive, undermining the diversity and human scale of the Smithfield Conservation Area and introducing an intensive office use;
• the total demolition of the General Market Building is not justified on engineering grounds.

Six expert witnesses will be putting the case for English Heritage at the Inquiry including Eric Reynolds, an expert in modern urban markets, who played a major part in the creation of the hugely successful markets at Camden Lock and Spitalfields. Mr Reynolds explains in his evidence that “while there has been a decline in traditional municipal markets in recent years, modern urban markets such as Borough, Spitalfields and Camden Lock continue to grow in popularity and success”. He proposes that such a market could be an integral part of the continued renaissance of the Smithfield area, and points to the interest already expressed in the reuse of the buildings by a number of companies, including his own, Urban Space Management.

He goes on to say that “the Smithfield area may well be burgeoning into a new Soho or Covent Garden” and that “space such as that offered by the General Market Building, and the areas around it, can easily accommodate a diversity of uses, with enormous scope for flexibility. Its central open spaces at ground floor level can be divided into ‘streets’ lined with shops and market stalls.” Demolition of the General Market Building would therefore represent a missed opportunity for London.

The internationally-renowned architect and masterplanner Sir Terry Farrell will also be giving evidence, drawing on a study of the Smithfield area he carried out recently for English Heritage. In his evidence, Sir Terry argues that “the Smithfield area has a distinctive identity, defined by its townscape, architectural character and activity patterns, which needs to be respected and reinforced as the starting point for its successful regeneration.” Sir Terry also criticises the 46-metre-high office block proposed for this site for ignoring the low scale of the market complex and reinforcing the hostile “canyon effect” of Farringdon Road.

English Heritage will therefore argue that the proposals should be refused by the Secretary of State.

For more on Smithfield go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/smithfield

For more press information, please contact
Anya Matthews, English Heritage Corporate Communications
020 7973 3372 or 07887 631177
anya.matthews@english-heritage.org.uk

For images please see www.papicselect.com

NOTES

The 43 Farringdon Street Public Inquiry will open at 10am at Bankside House, 24 Sumner Street Southwark London, SE1 9JA on Tuesday 6 November and is due to run until January 2008. http://www.persona.uk.com/smithfield/  

Eric Reynolds has been involved in numerous urban regeneration schemes since the early 1970s, many including the practical reuse of historic buildings. In 1974 with two partners he started Camden Lock, now one of London's top tourist attractions. He has repeated this success at many other locations, notably Spitalfields Market in the City of London. He acts as a regeneration advisor across the country.

Sir Terry Farrell is an internationally recognised architect and urban designer with offices in London, Edinburgh and Hong Kong. In practice for over 40 years, Farrell has completed high-profile building schemes and masterplans worldwide. The practice is well-known for its masterplanning expertise – the enhancement of the public realm is a key concern.  Farrells are working in many core cities, including: London, Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle and Coventry. Radical proposals for the remaking of the Thames Gateway are being presented to key stakeholders and politicians.

Sir Terry Farrell has won many awards and lectured extensively. He was awarded the OBE in 1978, a CBE for services to architecture in 1996 and Knighted in 2001. The practice’s work has been published in books and journals internationally.

Other witnesses:

• Roger Mascall and Mark Dodds of planning consultants DPP on heritage and planning issues;
• David Tomback of English Heritage on marketing;
• Brian Morton OBE on engineering issues.

Others opposed to the application include:

• George Ferguson, Architect and Former President of the RIBA;
• Dan Cruickshank, Architectural Historian and Broadcaster;
• Cameron Leslie and Keith Reilly, Founders of Fabric;
• John Torode and Rolf Munding, Founders of Smiths of Smithfield;
• the City Heritage Society;
• Ptolemy Dean, Architect and TV Presenter;
• Griff Rhys Jones, TV Presenter.

Comments from some of these can be found at www.english-heritage.org.uk/smithfield which includes a photo gallery, a short film and a downloadable copy of Sir Terry Farrell’s study of the area.