The issues of privatisation and face-to-face selling of fish and meat at New Covent Garden Market should both be resolved sometime next year, according to Covent Garden Market Authority chairman Leif Mills.
Uncertainty still hangs over the Nine Elms market following a claim for judicial review by the Corporation of London in September. "We are now waiting for a high-court judge to look at the issue and to consider our statement, Defra's and the corporation's," said Mills. The judge can come to a decision on whether to uphold the minister's ruling to allow face-to-face selling of meat and fish, and so open the way for Covent Garden to become a composite market and service the catering sector more effectively, either by reading the statements or by calling for a court hearing.
If a court hearing is requested, it is likely to be next summer before that takes place. And if the judge rules at that hearing that there is no case for judicial review and that the minister was correct in his decision, then the Corporation of London would still have the right of appeal which could potentially drag the matter out for a few more months.
"Personally, I am very confident about the outcome as I think the corporation's claim is pretty lightweight," said Mills. "It is just a shame that it will probably be so long in coming."
Meanwhile, the CGMA has identified a number of companies that might be interested in bidding for the market as it is still government's intention to privatise it. This process has not been stalled but all interested parties are being made aware of necessity for statutes to be repealed and public tendering to be opened.
"Next year, 2004, should see face-to-face selling resolved and we should also be clear as to the ownership of the market," said Mills.
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