COUNCILLORS have approved a plan to spend up to £150,000 on developing a business case for a new, publicly-owned livestock market in Malton.

At a meeting on Thursday, members of Ryedale District Council’s policy and resources committee voted six for, three against and one abstention on a motion to put the proposal to full council.

Cllr Luke Ives, chairman of the committee, stressed that the decision on the table was just about the business case and not about the full plans, which will need to be approved at a later date.

The full plans, which emerged last week, would see the council own the land and the new market and facilities near Eden Camp, but lease it out to private companies to manage and run.

Cllr Ives said that the income that could be generated by leasing out a council-owned market to the auctioneers is higher than the income currently generated by the money in the council’s bank account.

“This is a matter that’s been going on for decades,” he said, adding that “the plan will safeguard this asset for the farming community for some time”.

Cllr Ives also revealed that EU regulations had prevented the council helping the project in other ways. “We’ve looked at alternatives such as loans, but the problem with that is that you run up against state aid rules,” he said.

The livestock market is currently on a short-term lease and notice could be served at any time. The site it is on has planning permission for a supermarket.

Cllr Lindsay Burr and Cllr Keane Duncan questioned how much feedback has been received so far from current stakeholders, such as the Livestock Market Company, the auctioneers, and the Estate.

Cllr Ives said: “I don’t want to get into disclosing conversations with interests and their views, but this wouldn’t have come forward if it wasn’t viable and there wasn’t the will to make it happen.”

However, the committee agreed that the council will write to all stakeholders involved and get their feedback on the plans in time for discussions at full council.

There were heated discussions among members both for and against the proposal.

Cllr John Raper said: “This has been going on for decades. We need to do something and we need to do it safely and responsibly for the people of Ryedale.”

But Cllr Joy Andrews said: “The assets we have are falling around our ears. We need to back right off from this.” Cllr Robert Wainwright suggested it would be like “building a nest for a dinosaur”.

The proposal will need to go before a meeting of full council before it is fully approved.