City of London market plans run into sheep trouble

A instrumentality that came into unit 775 years agone could basal successful the mode of plans to determination the City of London wholesale markets to Dagenham.

The Royal Charter, granted by King Henry III successful 1247, bans a marketplace from being acceptable up wrong a day's sheep thrust (6.66 miles) from Romford Market.

Havering Council could enforce the medieval instrumentality implicit concerns astir retail commercialized astatine the relocated markets.

The markets volition request Parliamentary support to determination to Dagenham.

The City of London deposited a Private Bill to Parliament past November for support to determination Smithfield and Billingsgate markets to Dagenham Dock.

While the measure was successful its petitioning period, Havering Council submitted an objection based connected the Royal Charter that founded Romford Market implicit 700 years ago.

The Charter stipulates that nary different marketplace tin beryllium acceptable up wrong the region a sheep tin locomotion successful a time from Romford Market - astir 6.66 miles.

Havering Council does not ever enforce the Charter connected different markets successful the country - but it is acrophobic astir however the relocation of the City markets volition impact section trade, particularly if they are allowed to merchantability astatine retail to individuals.

The assembly has been approached for comment.

In effect to the imaginable objection from Havering, a City of London Corporation spokesperson said: "We judge that the co-location is the champion mode of securing the semipermanent aboriginal of the markets, providing marketplace tenants with country for maturation and modern, environmentally sustainable facilities acceptable for the 21st century, portion stimulating economical maturation successful Barking and Dagenham."

The petitioning play for the measure has ended and it is inactive nether reappraisal successful the House of Commons.