Developers put markets at risk
Developers put markets at risk
By FWreporters
TWO historic markets face closure as local councils move closer to accepting lucrative development deals.
More than 50 angry farmers drove a tractor to Guildford Borough Council last week in protest at an announcement by leaseholder South East Marts that it intended to close the site, after four years of losses amounting to over £500,000. That would end over 700 years of livestock marketing at Surreys last remaining mart.
They were unable to prevent the sale of the site to a developer. The borough council voted by an overwhelming majority to back the motion to accept a development companys offer of an undisclosed sum for a 150-year lease.
But farmers were promised discussions to see if the mart could be reopened elsewhere.
Many farmers face extra journeys of 70-100 miles to alternative markets. Support group chairman, Reg Haydon, who farms near Arundel, Sussex and who is also chairman of the Tenant Farmers Association, said there had been little warning of SEMs intentions.
That left farmers and mart staff to launch their eleventh-hour bid to defer the councils decision, but he added that there was little hope of a reprieve.
The council did agree to allow six months for talks over the possible relocation of the market to take place. "At least that is something," added Mr Haydon.
Gloucester market, the second biggest in England, is also under threat, following a decision by the city council to speed development plans.
It said last year that it intended to move the market to a new location to make way for a £40m redevelopment. But the councils director of corporate development, Richard Cook, said that despite eight months of negotiations with mart auctioneers, no terms for relocation had been agreed.
A meeting of council leaders has now recommended that negotiations end to enable the development to progress.
But Gavin Loynes, market director of Gloucester Market Auctioneers, buoyed by "tremendous" farmer support over the past year, insists that talks will carry on.
"We are existing tenants, we have a right to occupation and we are going to continue to negotiate terms with the council that will enable us to have a livestock market on the area that has been allocated to us."
A new site, behind the proposed development, was thought to be favourite. But another location on the edge of the town is now being mooted, says Mr Loynes.
Farmers took their protest about market closure to Guildford Council.