Malton summit to secure new livestock mart investors

Construction work could start on a new mutli-million pound livestock auction market on the outskirts Malton this summer, according to a businessman at the forefront of the plans.
A sale of prime cattle at the current Malton Livestock Market.  Picture by James Hardisty.A sale of prime cattle at the current Malton Livestock Market.  Picture by James Hardisty.
A sale of prime cattle at the current Malton Livestock Market. Picture by James Hardisty.

Pat Foxton, chairman of the Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Company, said he was confident the company would be able to raise the additional investment it needed, beyond the £500,000 it has already secured, to cover the full costs of constructing the new mart buildings near Eden Camp in Old Malton.

A major public meeting is expected to be held at Malton and Norton Rugby Club in the coming weeks for local farmers, landowners, other potential investors and members of the wider community to learn more about the plans and how they can pledge financial support to ensure the project is realised.

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Mr Foxton, who operates a local livestock haulage firm, told The Yorkshire Post: “We will hopefully get started by mid-summer on the construction of the new livestock market.

Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp.  Picture by James Hardisty.Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp.  Picture by James Hardisty.
Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp. Picture by James Hardisty.

“We are in the process of organising the next step of the process, which will be an open meeting for everyone where we will explain what our plans are from here. We are hoping to have this meeting by mid-May at the latest because we need to be progressing with the next stage - to see how much money we will have to take the plans forward.

“We have had not only keen interest from the farming world in Ryedale, but also those not involved in agriculture but who want to see a new market because it will be of enormous value to the whole of Ryedale and beyond.”

Mr Foxton added: “I’m confident that we can raise the money we need. We are in the process of pursuing other means of securing grant facilities through Ryedale District Council and within the last six to nine months we have found other sources of funding that we may be able to tap into.”

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Infrastructure work began on the new livestock market site, and a new agri-food business park near Eden Camp, in March last year. The work includes the construction of a new road from the A169 Pickering to Malton road. A satellite complex of Bishop Burton Agricultural College is also planned for the site.

Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp.  Picture by James Hardisty.Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp.  Picture by James Hardisty.
Pat Foxton, chairman of Malton and Ryedale Farmers Livestock Market Company at the site earmarked for the new Malton livestock market near Eden Camp. Picture by James Hardisty.

Altogether, local planners hope the development will create around 600 jobs directly and more than 2,000 in the wider Ryedale economy, in what equates to the biggest investment in the area’s agricultural industry for generations.

The business park is part funded by a £2.1m Local Growth Fund grant secured by Ryedale District Council and developers, Commercial Development Projects, from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership - a project bolstered by the Government’s designation of the site as a new Food Enterprise Zone. The zones, of which there are six across the country, are designed to support existing businesses to expand and to encourage new businesses to start up.

The potential relocation of the North Yorkshire market town’s long running auction mart has been the source of contentious debate since it was first threatened with closure a little over a decade ago. The Fitzwilliam Estate, which owns the existing mart site in Malton town centre, has secured planning permission for the land to be redeveloped and it is currently providing a rolling three-month lease to the livestock market while it develops its own plans.

The estate has already secured planning permission from Ryedale District Council for a project which includes a three-storey car park, a public square and retail outlets.

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