Don’t sell off our future

10:04am Wednesday 23rd April 2008

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THIS week the Gazette & Herald is launching a campaign to save a key car park in Ryedale from developers.

International consultants WSP Group have earmarked the site on Wentworth Street in Malton as "well suited" for a new supermarket and housing scheme in the market town.

But campaigners fear that if Ryedale District Council sold the land, they could be forfeiting Malton's future as a major tourism and retail hub.

A petition will be handed to council leaders urging them to keep all car parking spaces and slash charges to tempt more shoppers into the town.

The owner of the World Wide Shopping Mall, Malcolm Chalk, has thrown his weight behind the campaign claiming the town needs a new supermarket "like a hole in the head".

He said: "There can't be any single business in Malton that would support the idea of building another supermarket in town. Ryedale District Council must build on what Malton already has, which is quality independent shops.

If we get a large supermarket it will devastate the town and businesses. People will just park there, do all their shopping and leave again.

"I would urge Ryedale District Council not to sell off its family jewels. We need all the car parking spaces we can to compliment the development of Malton as an upmarket retail town."

In a report commission by Ryedale District Council called "A Strategy for Malton Town Centre" published in February, Wentworth Street car park is highlighted as one of four key sites earmarked for future development.

Consultants claim the car park is currently chronically underused and 81 per cent of the site is lies empty.

But spokesman for the Car Park Action Group, Coun Paul Andrews, said if the town is to develop then it is crucial to safeguard Wentworth Street.

He said: "Malton is due to expand and with that in mind we need more car parking spaces not fewer. We believe that Wentworth Street should be kept as a public facility and charges for its use should be reviewed. There is a shortage of spaces in Malton and Wentworth Street is an important site for farmers who use when there is a livestock market.

"We need to retain this site as it will be essential to the future growth of the town."

Three options have been laid on the table for the site, all include building affordable housing but consultants "strongly" recommend building a supermarket and new flats.

But Ryedale Council's forward planning and economic development manager, Julian Rudd, said they have not yet decided the future of the car park. He said: "These proposals would reduce the number of car parking spaces at Wentworth Street. However, when you look at the range of sites on offer in the town, this would only be a reduction of 47 spaces.

It is recommended that a second tier of car parking be built if the supermarket option is taken forward. If this is adopted then shoppers at the supermarket will be able to take advantage of free parking for a couple of hours.

"We have asked the consultants to come up with a list of recommendations to make Malton a retailing centre which will lead to even better days ahead."