200 attend livestock market relocation meeting in Malton (From Gazette & Herald)

200 attend livestock market relocation meeting in Malton

10:56am Wednesday 18th July 2012 in News By Karen Darley

ABOUT 200 people attended a meeting on Friday to hear details of plans to relocate Malton ’s livestock market to a site on the outskirts of the town.

A seven-and-a-half acre site on the Malton to Pickering road has been identified after discussions between the newly-formed Malton and Ryedale Livestock Company and the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation.

One of the company directors, Patrick Foxton, who chaired the two-hour meeting, said there had been an excellent response to the proposals.

He said: “The general comments were ‘get on and do it. This will provide new job opportunities and will be a major boost to Ryedale’s economy.”

Malton’s current livestock market is under a 15-year lease from Fitzwilliam (Malton) Estate with three five-year breaks – the next being April 2013.

The project will not only see the relocation of the livestock market but also an agricultural related business park and educational facilities linked with one of the local colleges as part of a 35-40 acre development.

Mr Foxton said the next move would be seeking planning permission and, ideally, to get the whole project off the ground rather than in phases.

He said: “The drawback is that we are working on a short timescale. If we could extend this it would give the whole thing time to stand on its own feet give it a more practical approach.

“We certainly won’t be sitting on our hands. We have done the costings for the building etc and want to get on with it as soon as possible.”

Funding of £750,000 has been made available by the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation with plans to sell shares to help with the sites expansion.

Mr Foxton said: “Everyone seems very positive and welcomed what we put forward. The new site will provide new opportunities and open new doors for the family industry in Ryedale.”