Construction Begins at Former Cattle Market Site
125 flats will be built in Southall in towers up to 12 storeys high
Flats to be built on site of Southall cattle market
Work has begun to build 125 new flats on the site of a historic cattle market in Southall.
In a joint project between Ealing Council and developers Mackenzie Homes, several new tower blocks will be built, the tallest of which will be 12 storeys in height. More than 80 per cent of the homes in the new development will be available to rent at levels classed as affordable.
The tower blocks will be constructed on the site of the cattle market which dated back to the 18th century and a neighbouring car park. Planning permission for the tower blocks was approved by the council in December 2020 and work to lay the foundations for the project began in December 2021.
The permission for the project was granted despite some locals being upset that the historic market site would be lost. Commenting on the proposals before permission was given by the council, one resident wrote, “The site also proposes to build on a historic cattle market within Southall, which dates back to 1805, this is one of the last traditional markets in Britain, which is consistently busy with locals .
“The market is also a cultural hotspot for the south asian community in Southall, and has been a place that has allowed immigrants to build successful businesses upon. Thus, it should be considered if the homes are impeding on a piece of history which should be preserved.”
The cattle market was created in 1698 when a local landowner, Francis Merrick, applied to King William III to hold a market in the town. The last livestock market was held in 2007, but the marketplace nevertheless remained in use until building works for this development began, with fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and other bric-a-brac sold at the market three times a week.
The new development will provide space for a small market, as well as a 76-vehicle car park to replace some of the parking space lost to the tower blocks. One market worker said they were worried that the market would not survive in the space they would be given.
They wrote, “I work at Southall market and represent about 40 traders. We have been a bit busy at the moment with coronavirus but wanted to make you aware that the ground space promised by the developer to the current owners is a must for the market to be sustainable.
“Even if Lidl and the small retained site (sic) the market will be too small and will just die since it will not be able to offer enough variety. Please note it is more important to have a good market than the car parking space you are putting there.”
Ealing Council and Mackenzie Homes have been approached for comment
Lisa Haseldine - Local Democracy Reporter
March 31, 2022
