‘NO’ to a supermarket on Wentworth Street car park was the overwhelming response from the readers who responded to our online poll.

Hundreds of people voted with 85 per cent against the proposals to develop the Malton site.

Of those who took part, the majority were from Malton, followed by Norton, with responses also received from voters as far afield as Leeds, Salisbury, Ripon and London.

Members of Ryedale District Council voted last November to sell part of the car park to raise money for investment in the area.

Since then the arguments have raged on both sides.

Those in favour of the plan to build a supermarket on the car park site say action is needed to bring shoppers back to Malton, while those against the development say another supermarket will have a devastating effect on the smaller shops.

Development company GMI Holbeck Land, which has entered into an agreement to purchase a long leasehold interest across a section of the car park from Ryedale District Council, submitted a planning application to build a supermarket and filling station on the car park earlier this month.

Plans were also submitted in May by the Fitzwilliam Estate for a ‘small, good quality, food-only’ store, together with three non-food units on the livestock market site.

Supporters argue this would play a key part in regenerating Malton by attracting new shoppers and visitors to the town.

Further discussions have been held between town councillors and a development company understood to be working with Sainsbury’s to discuss a possible supermarket in Showfield Lane.

Coun Paul Andrews, a leading opponent of the sale of Wentworth Street car park, said he was delighted, but not surprised, by the result.

He said: “Just after the local elections in May, Malton and Norton town councils did a public consultation on their Neighbourhood Plan. This showed that only 16 per cent of respondents would accept a supermarket in Wentworth Street car park.

“This view is also supported by a petition last year signed by more than 2,000 people, a march last July of at least 250 local people – the first March of this kind in the district in living memory – and the attendance of 400 objectors at the council meeting which voted for the sale on November 17 last year.

“At the May 2011 elections the plan to build a supermarket on Wentworth Street car park was an election issue in Malton and Norton, and the voters of Malton and Norton decisively rejected candidates who had supported the council’s plans for Wentworth Street car park.”

Julian Rudd, head of economy and housing at Ryedale District Council said Malton town centre’s strengths were its many independent retailers and the character of the Georgian market town.

He added: “However, Malton has fallen hundreds of places in the retail rankings over recent years and many local people now travel outside the area to do their supermarket and other shopping.

“Currently, two out five Ryedale residents travel outside Ryedale to do their food shopping and four out of five residents travel outside Ryedale to do other shopping.

“The historic buildings in Malton town centre do not provide suitable accommodation for many high street retailers and so there is very limited choice for some goods, especially clothing and fashion, and this further encourages people to shop elsewhere.”

Mr Rudd added that the Wentworth Street car park site had a long history of under-use.

“The extensive free parking and planned improvements to the three-minute pedestrian route from the site into Malton’s Market Place seek to encourage much greater footfall in the town centre to benefit existing shops and cafés.”

Mr Rudd added: “The Wentworth Street proposal by GMI Holbeck Land is expected to be one of three planning applications for a supermarket at Malton.

“It is understood that pre-application consultations are likely in the next few weeks on a proposal for a large Sainsbury’s store on an out-of- town centre green-field site, with a planning application expected before Christmas.”