'Final nail' claim as car park sale agreed

CONTROVERSIAL moves to sell a car park to make way for a supermarket development have been given the go-ahead by councillors who were warned they had put the final nail in the coffin of local business.

Ryedale councillors voted to sell the Wentworth Street car park in Malton after a stormy meeting which lasted more than four hours and ended only at 11pm.

Hundreds of objectors have marched through Malton protesting at the sale, fearing it will not only hit car parking for shoppers but a new supermarket will have a devastating impact on existing traders.

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Yesterday Denys Townsend called the decision – to sell the land to an unnamed client to build an undisclosed supermarket for an undisclosed sum – "surreal".

He also suggested councillors who voted yes to the sale could pay with their political lives.

An estimated 300 people turned out for the extraordinary council meeting at Malton School on Wednesday.

Mr Townsend added: "We are disappointed with the result but not surprised. The point was made over and over again that there are local council elections in May and the electorate might feel their representatives had not voted with the community's wishes and could be voted out."

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He went on: "The battle is lost but the war goes on. The sale will be subject to planning issues that are unlikely to be clear before summer."

Experience of other towns showed that when a supermarket or discount store opened the first casualties were local shops which were then left standing empty, he added.

Head of housing Julian Rudd urged the sale of the council-owned site to create a supermarket, 100 parking spaces, and at least 5m investment in projects around the town. But after the decision was announced protesters held up a sign, saying: "Another nail in Malton and Norton's coffin."

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