Malton store ‘vital for rejuvenation’

Ryedale District Council has approved blueprints for the multi-million pound superstore on the site of a car park in Malton in North Yorkshire which the authority has agreed to sell for a £5m windfall.

The council’s leader Keith Knaggs admitted the district had been guilty of complacency in the past, but stressed there was now a need to drive forward Ryedale’s economy.

His pledge to bring investment to the district came as the Government revealed it has accepted “virtually all” 28 recommendations from retail guru Mary Portas in its bid to rejuvenate the UK’s high streets.

But opponents maintained the Malton decision was pushed through at a planning meeting on Thursday evening without taking into account the strength of public feeling. Broadcaster Selina Scott has been at the forefront of the campaign to prevent the supermarket being built on the Wentworth Street car park.

Ms Scott, who lives near Malton and has been a vociferous advocate for preserving the independent retail sector, said: “The meeting was dispiriting, as it appeared the decision had already been made. The town people of Malton turned up to have their noses simply rubbed in it.

“This has been decided by people who know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. The heart and soul of this dear town of Malton has been sold for the price of £5m.”

The Wentworth Street supermarket application was approved by 10 votes to five. A rival retail scheme which would have re-developed the town’s livestock market was thrown out by 11 votes to four.

The Fitzwilliam Estate, which has owned much of Malton town centre for the past 300 years, had put forward plans for a smaller food store on the market site.

Local Government Minister Eric Pickles could still call in the council’s decision for a public inquiry, and the Fitzwilliam Estate could launch an appeal – although it is understood such a legal challenge could cost £250,000.

Coun Knaggs maintained the council could not afford to defer a decision on the planning applications.

He added: “The district has been complacent in the past – we don’t have inner-city type problems, we’re not a deprived area. Ryedale may pay a price for that complacency in an era where it is business itself which will have to fund infrastructure and economic development. We need to promote ourselves as a business destination not just a tourist one.

“These issues of getting better paid, better quality jobs for our young people, of attracting money and investment into the district are more important than which supermarket we shop in –as we all do. Under my leadership, this council will be respectful of the past but will look to the future – that’s where we can make a difference.”

The Leeds-based developer behind the supermarket scheme, GMI Holbeck, said it put forward a “solid, technical case” for an “important opportunity for investment in Ryedale and Malton”.

The Fitzwilliam Estate claimed the council’s decision was “predictable but wrong” as it “flies in the face of overwhelming local public opinion”.

Meanwhile, the Government confirmed yesterday it has accepted measures proposed by Ms Portas, including the launch of dedicated “town teams” to manage high streets and making parking more affordable.

It also unveiled additional measures such as funding schemes and cutting back on red tape. The Government asked Ms Portas last year to compile a report to look at reviving the nation’s high streets.