Battle to halt supermarket opening in town heads for Downing Street

Ms Scott was in Malton to officially open a showcase of local produce which organisers claimed was an “overwhelming success” after more than 2,000 visitors from across the north of England attended it.

More than 30 stalls featuring leading food and drink specialists were at the inaugural Malton Food Lovers Market on Saturday. The market is the sister event to Malton’s Food Lovers Festival, which launched in 2009 and attracted more than 10,000 visitors this year.

Ms Scott is spearheading a campaign to prevent a new superstore opening in the town, and plans are being drawn up to take a 2,000-signature petition to Downing Street.

Malton and neighbouring Norton already have outlets from major chains including Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, and fears are growing that independent traders will be driven out of business with the arrival of a new supermarket.

Ms Scott said: “People simply do not want another supermarket in this lovely town. This is not just about Malton – there is a growing feeling nationally that the dominance of supermarkets is wrong.

“I have had letters and emails in support from as far afield as Herefordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex, and we will take the petition to Downing Street to show the strength of feeling.”

The Yorkshire Post revealed in September that more than 50 of the region’s oldest-established and prominent families, along with leading public figures and business people, had put their names to an open letter as part of the campaign. Councillors voted last year to sell the town’s Wentworth Street car park, after seven companies expressed an interest in developing the site.

A planning application was submitted by developers from GMI Holbeck Land to Ryedale District Council in September.