As many as 100 stalls at one of the UK’s largest weekly markets could be lost to make way for a new Google data centre, Epping Forest District Council has confirmed.
North Weald Market, based at the historic North Weald Airfield in Essex, currently hosts around 300 stalls every Saturday, offering clothing, homewares, and food. However, the council said that part of the land sold to Google in 2024 will be converted into parking for the tech giant’s employees.
Google paid the council £88.2 million for 52 acres (21 hectares) of the former RAF base. Over the next five years, the company plans to develop the site into a major data centre, with part of the existing market area earmarked for a car park.
Conservative councillor Holly Whitbread said the council remains “very much committed” to ensuring the rest of the airfield continues to benefit local residents. “The airfield is a huge piece of land that the district council owns, and the market is very much part of that airfield,” she said. “But we are also looking for the future with Google providing more technology.”
North Weald Market has been a fixture of the local community for decades and is described by Whitbread as “one of the most popular markets in the whole of the UK.”
The council estimates around 10% of customer parking capacity will be lost due to the project, though it does not expect visitor numbers or traffic conditions to worsen significantly. While it has not confirmed that 100 stalls will be axed, the reduction in available trading space could result in a 31% cut in capacity.
Gary Saunders, whose company Saunders Markets operates the site, downplayed concerns over the scale of the reduction. “The market will be broadly the same size,” he said, adding that Google’s investment has provided traders with greater long-term security.
“The deal has actually given the market a home now,” Saunders said. “I feel like our traders are more secure than during the previous uncertain period.”
North Weald Airfield, which played a vital role during the Battle of Britain in 1940, continues to serve as a landmark of British heritage. For many, the market’s presence has been a symbol of community life and economic vitality in Essex.
While the Google development signals a shift toward a high-tech future, local leaders insist they are working to balance innovation with preservation of the area’s cultural and commercial identity.