The Markets Board meeting scheduled for 21 January 2026 was set to cover a range of operational and strategic matters concerning the City of London's wholesale markets. Key discussions were expected to include updates from market general managers, a review of the Markets Division Business Plan, and the approval of a draft high-level business plan for the City Surveyor's Department. The board was also scheduled to consider the wholesale market risk update report.

Updates from General Managers

The board was scheduled to receive updates from the General Managers of Smithfield, New Spitalfields, and Billingsgate Markets. These updates, detailed in the GM Updates - Jan 26 - Public document gm-updates-jan-26-public.pdf, would provide information on the operational status and recent activities within each market.

At Smithfield Market, updates were expected to cover staffing, cleaning, energy usage, and health and safety, with a particular focus on the impact of proposed road closures on St John Street. Billingsgate Market's update was anticipated to include information on staffing, cleaning, energy efficiency measures, and health and safety performance, alongside tenant priorities related to the market's potential move. New Spitalfields Market's report was to address staffing, cleaning challenges, energy projects including the installation of solar PV panels, and health and safety. Tenant association priorities, particularly lease negotiations, were also to be discussed.

Markets Division Business Plan Update

A report from the City Surveyor, detailed in the Main Cover Report main-cover-report.pdf, was scheduled for information. This report was to provide an update on progress made during Period 2 (August to November 2025) of the 2025/26 Markets Business Plan, outlining key improvement objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The plan included targets for outstanding debt, market occupancy, and waste diversion from landfill. Financial summaries and matters of general interest, such as visitors and filming at the markets, were also to be presented in appendices.

Draft High-Level Business Plan 2026/31 - City Surveyor's Department

The board was scheduled to consider the draft high-level Business Plan for the City Surveyor's Department for 2026/31, as presented in the CS High Level Business Plan document cs-high-level-business-plan.pdf. This plan, which aligns with the Corporate Plan 2024-2029, outlines departmental activities, customer feedback, and future direction over a five-year horizon. It encompasses key areas such as the Real Estate Investment Strategy, the Cyclical Works Programme, the Corporate Property Asset Management Plan, and contributions to the Climate Action Strategy. The plan also details departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and demonstrates a commitment to delivering value for money. The report indicated that a utilisation assessment of corporate spaces managed by the department had been undertaken, with no surplus space identified.

The City Surveyor's Wholesale Market Risk Update Report

The Market Board Risk Report - January 2026 market-board-risk-report-january-2026.pdf was scheduled for discussion to assure the board that risk management procedures within the Markets Division were satisfactory and met the requirements of the corporate Risk Management Framework. The report was to highlight key risks with a score of 8 or above, including the extended operation of Smithfield and Billingsgate Market Sites (SUR-SMT 017), Billingsgate Transport Risk (SUR-MKT BG 009), Health & Safety Risk at the markets (SUR-MKT WM 004), Building Maintenance Management at Smithfield (SUR MKT SM 012), and Transport Risks at Smithfield (SUR-MKT SM 006) and New Spitalfields (SUR-MKT NS 008). Mitigating actions for these risks were to be detailed.

Public Minutes

The board was scheduled to agree the public minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 November 2025, as documented in Draft Public Minutes - Markets Board - November 2025.pdf draft-public-minutes-markets-board-november-2025.pdf.

Other Items

The agenda also included provisions for members' declarations of interest, questions on matters relating to the work of the committee, and any other urgent business that the Chairman considered appropriate. The meeting was also scheduled to consider the exclusion of the public for non-public and confidential items, including non-public and confidential minutes, and specific reports on the change in maintenance provision at Smithfield Market, tenancies at will and assignments, and staffing at New Spitalfields Market. An update on the Markets Co-location Programme was also listed.