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The first plans for The Garden at New Covent Garden Market have been revealed by Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) covering their 57 acre site at Nine Elms, Vauxhall.
The plans for The Garden include a brand new fresh produce Market for CGMA’s 240 tenant businesses providing up to 540,000 sq ft of trading space including new buyers walks, cafes and office space. The new Market buildings will include flexible trading units ensuring that the Market can adapt to changes in tenant and customer demand as well as the individual requirements of tenants. In addition a brand new Flower Market will have its own purpose built building alongside the main Market providing improved services for all of the flower market tenants.
The designs for the main site, drawn up by Neil Tomlinson Architects, also show for the first time The Garden Heart which will be a focus for food and flower related activities outside of the Market. This area could include incubator space for start up businesses, food training and education spaces including demonstration kitchens suitable for use by catering colleges and other education providers.
The Garden Heart also acts as the link between the Market and the other uses proposed for the Flower Market site. This means it is the ideal location for cafes, restaurants and could provide space for a public market or other food related events, ensuring better access to the site for the wider public.
The space not needed for the new Market and The Garden Heart will be redeveloped to finance its’ development. The current Flower Market site is the main area identified for redevelopment and the plans for this part of The Garden are being drawn up by world-renowned architecture practice Foster + Partners. This site is located just 400m from Vauxhall Cross and identified in the Draft London Plan and the emerging Opportunity Area Framework as an area for major regeneration and suitable for tall buildings. The emerging plans include up 1,800 new homes along with new shops and other commercial spaces, with two public squares connected to a new ‘green route’ running through the site.
Baroness Brenda Dean, Chairman of Covent Garden Market Authority said:
“Our priority is to provide a new market for our tenants, but our vision is much broader than this.
The Garden at New Covent Garden Market will become a new centre for food and flowers in London. Alongside the Market itself we are also looking to encourage the provision of cafes, destination restaurants, education facilities, training rooms, business support initiatives and possibly a public market as well.
We want to open up the site to the local community and all Londoners, ensuring The Garden takes its place alongside other great London destinations.
The new homes, shops, commercial space and public squares will also act as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the Nine Elms area.”
Jan Lloyd, Chief Executive of Covent Garden Market Authority said:
“Although the tenants continue to run thriving businesses, they are operating out of infrastructure which is 35 years old and which is too spread out and costly to maintain. Providing entirely new market buildings will mean we can design from scratch the optimal layout of the Market for our tenants, using modern materials and flexible units which can change over time in response to changing business needs.
We will also deliver an improved internal road layout and centralised servicing, energy and recycling facilities, all of which will result in lower service charge costs for tenants.
It is a hugely exciting time in the Market’s 800 year history and we are proud to display our early designs. There is huge potential to benefit our tenants, their customers and the wider local community and I hope that as many people as possible take the time to come and see the plans and let us have their views.”
Gary Marshall, Chair, Covent Garden Tenants Association said:
“This is an important stage in the process of securing a modern market for tenants, suppliers and customers alike. The redevelopment will create an environment that will allow us to take our businesses forward and develop new opportunities for the future.”
Barry Porter, Chairman of Covent Garden Flower Market Tenants Association said:
“The Flower Market offers an unparalleled range of flowers, foliage, plants and sundries and we are delighted that we now have an opportunity to build a new flower market fit for purpose.”
CGMA is hosting the first of two public exhibitions about the plans from 4 – 7 November and full details about this can be found at www.newcoventgardenmarket.com. For further information or to request a booklet about the public exhibition on The Garden please contact:
- Helen Evans, Covent Garden Market Authority, 020 7501 3487
- Suzi Lawrence / Jonny Popper, London Communications Agency, 020 7612 8480
