Smithfield Market, the only wholesale market that remains located on its original site within the Square Mile, will have special parking and travel arrangements during the Christmas period. This will result in a combination of temporary road closures, vehicle restrictions, parking bay suspensions and changes in directional flow of traffic.

These arrangements will be in place around Smithfield Market on consecutive nights from 10pm until 8am. This will start on Sunday 18 December (10pm) and end Friday 23 December (8am).

During the peak times mentioned above, vehicle access to the Market will be restricted to customers and business owners only.

Matthew Hill, Superintendent of Smithfield Market, said:

“Over the past few years Smithfield Market has become increasingly popular and busier on key dates leading up to Christmas. This has created significant congestion and traffic gridlock. We therefore worked with the City of London Police and the Smithfield market Tenants Association to put in place temporary traffic restrictions, making it easier for deliveries, traders and customers visiting the Market.”

All parking bays in the vicinity of the Market will be suspended in order to maintain traffic flow. However, there will be free parking at Smithfield car park from Sunday 11 December 2016 until Friday 23 December 2016 every day from 9pm to noon the following day.

The special parking and travel arrangements were trialled during Christmas 2014 and officially implemented on Christmas 2015. These helped reduce traffic and significantly speed up business.

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Notes to editors

1. Further details on the travel arrangements can be found here.
2. City of London Corporation owns and manages London's three wholesale markets: Smithfield, New Spitalfields and Billingsgate. Click here to find more information.
3. About the City of London Corporation: The City of London Corporation provides local government and policing services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'. In addition, the City Corporation has three roles: (1) we support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration, education and skills projects. In addition, the City of London Corporation’s charity City Bridge Trust makes grants of more than £15 million annually to charitable projects across London and we also support education with three independent schools, three City Academies, a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama. (2) We also help look after key London heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London. (3) And we also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events, research-driven policies all reflecting a long-term approach. See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for more details.