A popular south London food hall will be knocked down for a huge 900-home development

London is constantly being chopped and changed. New skyscrapers, new towns, new neighbourhoods and new open spaces are all in the works right now. But for all the newness, London needs more space. And for more space, old buildings often need to be knocked down. Now, food hall Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant and Castle faces that very fate. 

The Borough Triangle development was approved in a Southwark planning meeting last week. That means that a large cluster of buildings in the area will be bulldozed to make way for nearly 900 new homes in four tower blocks. A former paper factory, the home of Mercato Metropolitano food court for the last nine years, is among the buildings set to get knocked down. The 100-year-old locally listed Institute of Optometry is another historic building lined up to be demolished.

The £600m development will cover an area equivalent to one and a half football pitches. There are plans for new permanent food court designed in collaboration Mercato Metropolitano with the same number of traders as it has right now. 

Besides that and the new residential towers, which will be up to 44 storeys high, there’ll be an office block, a flexible café or retail space and a new community centre that’s expected to be occupied by a Latin American group. Of the 892 planned flats, developers say that 230 will be ‘affordable’ (up to 80 percent of local market rates) and 153 will be social rent. 

Berkeley has put aside a £200,000 business relocation fund to support some of the 423 workers who will be affected by the project. There are 40 stalls that trade within the market but only 12 will be rehoused in a smaller temporary market while the scheme is under construction. 

The plans have been getting significant backlash from local residents, though. One told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): ‘Over the last nine years this market has become the heart of our community. It now attracts over 600,000 yearly visitors, provides safe and inclusive spaces and offers activities for children and adults alike.

‘The traders provide jobs, support families and sustain the local economy. This isn't just a market. It's a key reason people want to live here.’

Others have voiced support for replacing the current food market with a new one. Trader Andrea Ferrario, who runs German Kraft Brewery, told LDRS: ‘People have between six to 12 months [leases at Mercato Metropolitano]. That’s not enough to establish your business and to give it the security to continue. Having a longer lease, it will help you to establish your business, build your clientèle.’

The Borough Triangle project is expected to take nine years, beginning in 2026. 

The Southbank Centre has opened a new riverside terrace bar with dazzling views of the Thames and London skyline. 

8 huge developments that will change London in 2025. 

Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.