Behind huge locked gates, the sprawling expanse of concrete and scrubland was supposed to be a hive of activity by now. Formerly the site of Barking Reach power station, these 17 hectares (42 acres) of industrial land at Dagenham Dock in east London were due to be redeveloped into a new, purpose-built wholesale food market for the capital.
However, that changed late last year when the site’s owners, the City of London Corporation, announced it had cancelled the development, which would have relocated Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market.