The news came last week, but heads of key market organisations had already begun to express their concern about the time taken to launch a review - the committee made its recommendations almost 14 months ago.
Covent Garden Market Authority's Dr Mike Liggins described the news as 'progress'.
'We are delighted to see the review at last and have every confidence in Nick Saphir as the man to do the job. Obviously we are very pleased about this and are looking forward to meeting with Nick Saphir and discussing the current situation with him.' He said the authority believed New Covent Garden has a significant role to play in the future of London markets, with its location and increasing diversification into catering and new products among its strongest assets.
'We have felt the need for an objective and possibly quite radical review of London's markets,' he said. 'Here we have a city with six markets dealing with four different product areas - something that is as much down to a process of historical accident as anything else. But the way the trade has developed over the last 20 years, a review is long overdue and may well show that some degree of rationalisation is needed.' He added that although the select committee had made other significant recommendations other than conducting a review, he expected Defra to await the results, before acting upon them.
At New Spitalfields, tenants association ceo Jim Heppel said: 'We welcome the decision to carry out a review – it has been a long time coming. We look forward to meeting with Nick Saphir.' However, he stressed the importance that any legislative changes that arose should create a level playing field for all markets. One major issue up for discussion, for example, is the diversification of horticultural markets into meats and other new product areas. At present London markets are constrained by a medieval law stipulating a six-and-three-quarter-mile exclusion zone around each. If this is removed it has huge implications for trade at each of the six city markets.
'If there is going to be a relaxation of the status quo, what applies to one market should apply to them all,' said Heppel. 'Any changes must be across the board.' Saphir, who has been chosen for his experience in the fruit and vegetable and farming business, told the Journal he was looking forward to starting work on the review.
'I will be asking the questions: do markets function well? Are there the right number of markets at the moment? Are they in the right location?' he said.
He added the study will also focus on the best way for landlords Defra and the Corporation of London to provide services to the tenants in their markets, as well as issues concerning Borough and Western International markets.
'I will be talking to the authorities, tenants associations and individual tenants,' he said. 'I'd like to see as many people as possible.'
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