The historic site in Britain’s capital has been a market for centuries. The local authority voted this week to close it.

The trouble with capitalism is it has no soul. It only values what can be measured in currency, which means that less tangible qualities – such as beauty, nature, civic pride or historical meaning – are not factored into the balance sheet.

London's historic Smithfield meat market is at risk of being closed for good at a vote in the City of London. The City of London Corporation, which owns and operates the site, has previously planned to relocate the market and Billingsgate fish market to a new £1 billion development in Dagenham.