A DEMONSTRATION will be held outside Ryedale District Council tomorrow against plans to build a supermarket in Wentworth Street car park, which campaigners say could affect plans for a relocated livestock market.

The protest comes ahead of a march through Malton next Saturday, organised by the town’s Chamber of Trade, which claims the store would be a “detriment to independent businesses”.

Leading protestor Paul Andrews, a district councillor and deputy mayor of Malton, has also said that granting planning permission for the car park would have a detrimental effects on plans for the town’s livestock market by closing the site.

Coun Andrews said: “It is unlikely that any retail operator is going to come to the livestock market site while there is a prospect of a bigger store being built on the car park.

“In the meantime, arrangements have been made to move the livestock market to another site, but this will take time. The Fitzwilliam Malton Estate manager has made it clear that, if planning consent is granted for the car park, the Estate will reluctantly have to take immediate action to protect its interests.

including legal action against the council, and taking possession of the livestock market site, for use as a free car park. This will effectively close the livestock market for good.”

A motion, which will be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting, has been put forward by Coun Andrews together with Councillors Lindsay Burr, Elizabeth Shields and Brian Maud, requesting that the whole council makes a decision on the application and not the planning committee, which has only one representative from Malton and Norton.

The protest will continue with a march from Wentworth Street to Malton Market Place on Saturday, March 15, at 10.30am.

Denys Townsend, chairman of the Malton and Norton Chamber of Trade, urged people to show their support.

“The proposed store on Wentworth Street Car Park will be a detriment to independent businesses because of the distance, albeit short, and the lack of a natural link to the town centre by comparison with the proposal on the livestock market site, which has a direct link with the town centre.”

“Long stay car parking is a vital requirement for all of those who travel to Malton and Norton for their daily work. The future available long stay car parking will not satisfy long term needs. “