Readers' letters on the sale of Wentworth Street car park

Most people now know that the majority voted to approve the sale.

This was the wording of the proposal: “To approve, subject to the grant of planning permission, the disposal of land at Wentworth Street, Malton, and to approve acceptance, subject to contract, of Submission X.” No information was provided to the meeting about the identity of the proposed supermarket, the chairman allowed only one opportunity for the proposal to be modified and the long, energetic debate was brought summarily to an end by the “guillotine” procedure.

The developer referred to as ‘Submission X’ has since been named as Holbeck Land Ltd. The proposal is for a supermarket of 25,000-35,000 sq ft (about the same size as the enlarged Morrisons), with additional retail provision including one non-food/restaurant retail unit, one non-food retail unit, office space and a petrol filling station.

The meeting was told that the number of public car parking spaces at Wentworth Street would be increased by 150 if the development were to go ahead. Questioning revealed that 250 would be for the use of the supermarket, so the actual figure is a net loss of 100 public spaces. It was most heartening to hear nine councillors speak eloquently against the proposal. Three of them represent Malton and Norton, while four represent wards in wider Ryedale. All have listened to the electorate and formed their own opinions.

In marked contrast, 18 others, including – astonishingly – three who represent Malton and Norton, continue to disregard the very real threat that large supermarkets on the edge of market towns are known to pose to town centre shops, a concern voiced by the vast majority of the public who expressed their views in the run-up to the meeting.

While the vote on November 17 was a disappointment, we all have future opportunities to make our views felt. The most obvious of these is next May, when Ryedale district councillors come up for election.

“We were not elected on this ticket” were Edward Legard’s words in the meeting on July 29. He is the only Conservative councillor to have voted against the sale of Wentworth Street car park, both on July 29 and on November 17.

Our elected representatives perhaps ignore the public at their peril.

The planning application for the development of Wentworth Street car park is likely to be submitted in May/June 2011. Malton Estate is also to re-submit the application to re-develop the livestock market site, after which the public would be able to make up their own minds as to which proposal they consider best for the future of Malton and Norton. The work of the campaign group will continue throughout, using our website to keep the public informed. Please visit www.savewentworthstreetcarpark.co.uk

Jason Fitzgerald-Smith (Mayor of Malton), Paul Beanland, Emma Brooksbank, Gavin Read, Denys Townsend (Malton Business in Action), Jane Ford, Nicholas Brooksbank, David Lloyd-Williams, Ann Hopkinson, Mike Skehan, Campaign group opposing the sale of Wentworth Street car park.

* I REFER to Howard Keal’s article in the Gazette & Herald (November 17).

I’ve seen a lot of bullying in my day. All bullies have one thing in common – they always say and think that their bullying is all done for the victim’s good, or to make the victim tougher.

This council is no different. We keep hearing from the council how yet another supermarket in Malton will somehow do Malton good and even help its shops by making them “more competitive” or, in the words of council leader Keith Knaggs at last Wednesday’s council meeting, by giving them a “shake-up”.

Now you don’t need to be a genius or a consultant to realise that, if the council really has the interests of Malton and Norton at heart, it would not be wanting to see a supermarket on Wentworth Street unless there is direct access on to the A64 – something the council is not going to provide.

It is suggested that a new supermarket will help our independent traders.

If this was true, why is it that the beginning of the decline of Malton’s town centre shops coincided with the arrival of Safeways (now Morrisons) in Malton?

And if Howard is so sure that a new supermarket will actually help local business, why is he supporting a proposal for a supermarket seven times bigger than what the council’s own consultants recommend?

It is a myth to say that supermarkets only compete with supermarkets. They do compete with each other – but only after taking out the independent traders first.

And if Howard is concerned about other supermarket proposals, why no mention of the cattle market, and why will he not agree to put all three supermarket proposals together in the LDF, so that they can be compared by an impartial government inspector to see which (if any) is best for Malton?

Howard talks about shoppers drifting away from Ryedale. When will he accept that people who live more than half way between Malton and York, Scarborough or Driffield will always be more likely to shop in those towns than in Malton?

The car parking argument is another example of blatant council bullying.

We all know perfectly well that the car park is underutilised because of the extortionate fees charged by the council. Yet now we are going to sell it to a superstore chain which is not so stupid: they will allow free car parking, because they know it works for their business. Howard applauds this. Are we really such hypocrites?

We talk about an extra 100 car parking spaces and three-hour free car parking on the top deck, which the council will continue to own.

We hear nothing from the council of the requirements for new supermarket customer spaces, of the fact that access to the top deck can only be through the supermarket car park, that it will be in the interest of the supermarket to allow its own customers to use these places, that what is required is free all-day car parking.

At the moment, the people who need long stay places park on the Cattle Market, and other sites which will soon be developed or become restricted in terms of car parking. An extra 100 three-hour free car parking spaces is not going to solve this problem – nor are new car parks which are not as central as Wentworth Street car park.

COUN PAUL ANDREWS, Malton Ward, Ryedale District Council.

* I understand that a suggestion has been made in the Gazette & Herald that Atisreal Limited may have had a conflict of interest when providing advice to Ryedale in relation to the Wentworth Street car park.

This assertion is untrue.

When Atisreal was instructed in respect of this matter, the car park and the Cattle Market sites had already been identified as potential locations for development.

The purpose of the Malton Town Centre Renaissance and Enhancement Study was to consider ways to revitalise the town centre including how best to “promote and guide redevelopment of several key brownfield sites”. This advice was given in conjunction with input advice from co-consultants also involved in the project.

The services in question were provided over a period from May 2007 to September 2008 by Harry Ward and myself, and involved the provision of strategic advice on possible options for improving Malton town centre.

Atisreal was not involved in the subsequent marketing of Wentworth Street car park, nor has it acted for any parties seeking to acquire it from the council.

Neither Harry Ward nor myself were (or have been) retained by Sainsbury’s to find new stores for them.

While we would not normally go into such detail with regards spurious suggestions of malpractice, we can confirm that Atisreal has never held an ongoing retainer by Sainsbury’s to find new stores for them. Atisreal, and now BNP Paribas Real Estate, has, without exception, always acted with integrity, professionalism and with client confidentiality and will continue to do so.

David Couch, Director, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Manchester.

* AS a 18-year-old councillor on Malton Urban District Council, I remember the concern over the dangers of the impending Local Government Reorganisation and how the aesthetics of the 1974 Act just didn’t recognise the huge fiscal benefit derived from established centralised town communites working together.

The creation of the remote and widespread Ryedale district meant that people from completely separate communities had the power over one another, of which they simply had no feel, concept or inherant loyalties – something which the city law makers just didn’t comprehend.

Today, we continue to see this problem with the controversy over Wentworth Street car park.

The public are naturally up in arms (and it takes something to stir Malton people up). There is no doubt that financing the district is a huge and difficult task and an unenviable job to square the books. But from the figures it seems that Ryedale simply can’t afford to operate Malton, even if they totally desolate the old town with new and unneccesary retail developments.

Some say it’s time to let Malton/Norton operate itself and allow that previously lost community to thrive on its own once more. One thing, however, the representatives do at their peril, and that is not to listen to the people. Now that is a dangerous thing.

Ian Reed, Mayor of Malton, 1981-83, York.

* IT was no surprise to the 200 people who attended the council meeting last Wednesday evening to hear the councillors vote for the sale of Wentworth Street car park by 17 votes to nine, despite all the persuasive speeches by the nine councillors who were not in favour of selling.

The car park is part of the family silver given to the residents of Malton and Ryedale by the generosity of the Fitzwilliam family, 60 years ago.

Now the council has got rid of the car park in one reckless, short- term move. The councillors present did not know the answers to the following questions:

1 What was the amount that would be received for the car park?

2 Who was buying the car park?

3 What the building will be used for?

But they voted in favour of selling it.

They claim that this development will do our town good by giving permission to build a “building” of 35,000 sq ft. To vote in favour of selling the car park for a mere £5 million is very short-sighted. However, those who voted to sell it can be easily removed by voting in next May’s local elections.

Charles Barker, Amotherby.

* I MUST express my disappointment at the result of the vote by Ryedale councillors to sell Wentworth Street car park. The councillors have consistently ignored the wishes of the large majority of local people.

Those councillors in favour of the sale said repeatedly how the car park was 50 per cent underused; this may be so for some of the time, but not all of the time. At certain times it is fully used – at the Michaelmas sheep sales and other busy market days, and more importantly, when there are special weekends in Malton town centre. There have been motor shows, food festivals, continental markets, and some years ago the Dickens Festival was a great attraction. The car park is then full. At these times, there is a great feeling in Malton, the town is buzzing with crowds of happy people.

Rather than sell the car park, the councillors should be putting all their efforts into making these events a weekly affair. If they feel they do not have the ideas or skills or energy to drive Malton forward, they should not stand for re-election next May.

John Sturdy, Malton.

* Final Nail

Behind closed doors, the high command
Try to soothe the publics’ fever.
Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand.
Pull any sort of lever.

Protesters taking to the street,
Were keen to stop the sale.
Moribund Malton, dead on its feet.
This could be the final nail.

To most, a shameful episode.
Were meetings held sub rosa?
Already rolling down the road,
The digger and the dozer.

Those for the sale may celebrate.
Though not their finest hour.
Unwise to underestimate,
The clout of people power.

Beware the next election day,
As anger coagulates.
Clear that desk, empty your tray.
The P45 awaits.

Clive Milson, Huttons Ambo.