Trade will suffer if market shuts while new one is built (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Trade will suffer if market shuts while new one is built

CIRENCESTER'S new cattle market will be up and running in the New Year.

But Lord Apsley fears a delay between the existing facility closing and the new one opening could severely affect trade.

Work is due to start on the new market, off the A419 at Driffield, in less than two months, and joint market owner Chris Voyce says it should be operational at the start of 2005.

But Cotswold District Council is set to build its new leisure centre on the current market site, off Tetbury Road, and cattle will not be sold there from July 31.

Lord Apsley, who is former county chairman of the National Farmers' Union has written to CDC asking for an extended lease.

But the district council, which has already given the market a lengthy stay of execution, says it will incur financial penalties if it delays its own project.

Lord Apsley, fears farmers may sell their stock elsewhere if there is a delay.

He said: "What concerns me is if they can't get the new site up and running in time. People have to sell their beasts.

"The council has the power to extend the lease. I wrote to them a few months ago but I haven't heard anything."

Mr Voyce, who says a cattle market in Cirencester is 'essential', added: "There has been red tape over the conditions but most of the details have been sorted.

"We need the current site to stay open so we can keep trading while the new one is built."

The market, which sells around 350 cattle a week, was originally due to leave Tetbury Road in September last year but was allowed to stay when CDC's controlling Tory group re-examined the leisure centre scheme as part of a cost cutting exercise and delayed the project.

The council has been working closely with the market owners and joint applicants Countrywide Stores - which is also set to relocate to Driffield - to help them identify a new site.

But, although the new market scheme was approved late last year, finer planning issues have had to be resolved and CDC says the applicants, including Driffield landowner John Ford, have not yet signed the agreement.

Meanwhile, work is due to start on the new leisure centre in September, as part of a joint deal with financial services firm St James's Place (SJP). SJP will eventually build its new headquarters on the current leisure centre plot next door.

CDC Chief Executive Bob Austin said: "The council made the decision about the leisure centre in April 2002 and the day after I invited Lord Apsley, the market operators and the NFU along and explained the situation.

"We told them the council would do whatever it could to identify a new site. Not a lot happened for nine months then they said they were interested in a site. "We've been extremely co-operative and have bent over backwards not to impose conditions that are unreasonable.

"We can't stop the new leisure centre going ahead and we wouldn't want to. Everyone is waiting for it and we have a legal agreement and would incur financial penalties."