John Olney, chairman of the Spitalfields Market Tenants’ Association, told more than 350 guests at the market’s annual dinner and dance that it is essential that traders in E10 are granted permission by the Corporation of London to sell products that fall outside of their existing licensing arrangement.
He was responding to the decision of the High Court to turn down the application made by the Corporation of London for a judicial review into face-to-face wholesale of meat and fish at New Covent Garden. The corporation decided against an appeal, having lost both the paper and oral hearings.
“The constraints placed upon the Spitalfields tenants - restricting sales to horticultural produce only - must now be lifted,” said Olney, continuing his call for parity for all London wholesalers.
“Since it relocated in 1991, New Spitalfields Market has become the UK’s premier horticultural market offering value and services second to none. In those 13 years the market has evolved and developed. It is a cosmopolitan market serving a cosmopolitan London,” he claimed.
“The tenants at Spitalfields have recognised the need to change. As a market we cannot stand still and lose all that has been gained”.
Pointing out that New Covent Garden has “at last recognised this truism”, Olney wished tenants at Nine Elms good luck and stressed that now is the time for the next stage of Spitalfields development.
“The next 10 years will be exciting times for East London. As tenants we must be free to grasp all opportunities that will be open to us,” he said.
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