Cattle market plans deferred (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cattle market plans deferred

THE future of Cirencester's cattle market remains uncertain after councillors deferred a decision on allowing it to be moved to an edge of town location.

Concerns were expressed at the long-term viability of the proposed new site at Fosse Farm in Driffield, which would include industrial units, amenity blocks and a Countrywide Farmers store.

An alternative home needs to be found for the cattle market by manager Voyce Pullin before next June because the current site off old Tetbury Road in Cirencester is earmarked for a new leisure centre.

Residents in Driffield, Harnhill and Down Ampney, who feared the narrow lanes would be unsuitable for the increased amount of traffic, had raised numerous concerns.

However, councillors believed the market's proximity to the A419 bypass made it an ideal location.

Lyndsey Ockwell, secretary for Driffield Village Amenity Society told the committee: "This application is purely for retail. It would be a Trojan Horse.

"Should it fail, retail would be on a site where retail actually would be forbidden.

"If this particular site goes ahead what are we offered but traffic blight and the degradation of our site."

Anthony Gibson, regional director for the NFU in the south west emphasised the need for a livestock market in Gloucestershire.

He said: "If Cirencester were to be refused then the county would be without a market. We thoroughly support this application."

Landowner of the proposed new site John Ford said: "If I thought it was detrimental to the village I wouldn't be here now.

"Time is of the essence. This is your last real opportunity to approve this application."

After a last minute offer by businessman John Rawlinson to locate the market at Ermin Farm instead, Cllr David Fowles said: "This isn't the only solution that is available.

"I believe that the whole scheme as proposed is barely viable based on the analysis and information that we have."

He also pointed out that in the last two years 28 cattle markets in England have closed.

Cllr Sheila Jeffery responded by saying: "With all these cattle markets closing what makes Cirencester so different that if we have a new cattle market it won't be closing in two or three years time?"

Asking for further viability checks to be made on the application she added: "It does not convince me that we have a firm business plan."