Market era ends

Market operators Premier Livestock Auctions will move the market to a new site at Cribbs Causeway, near Bristol in February leaving Wiltshire with only one remaining livestock market, in Salisbury.

Hopes of finding a new site in north Wiltshire have come to nothing and local farmers will face a 25-mile journey along the M4 to take their animals to market.

Market director Peter Kingwill said the last Chippenham market, on January 27, would be an emotional occasion.

"It will be very sad," he said. "Everybody will be sad. We would have liked to have stayed there forever.

"But there is a realism about agriculture and the difficulties it has, and the ancillary industries."

The market operators' lease on the site expired in 2002 and the market ran on a month by month basis. In December, Premier was told it had to leave by the end of January.

Planning permission for the new Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office was granted last week and the county council wants to begin work on the site in March. After more than half a century on the site, Chippenham's livestock market has reached the end of the line.

Rodbourne farmer Nigel Parfitt, who uses the livestock market regularly, said he was devastated by the news.

"Cirencester market closed in the summer, which means there is an even bigger gap between markets now. We really need a new market.

"People don't like driving on motorways with livestock."

Mr Parfitt said the social side of the weekly gathering would also be missed.

"Rural communities do need this sort of thing," he said.

Farmer George Candy, from Dauntsey, said: "It will certainly be a very sad day for the area and local farmers.

"I have to admit the market hasn't been as popular or busy since the foot and mouth outbreak but it would be a great pity to see it go."

Their sorrow was shared by North Wiltshire District Council leader Coun Ruth Coleman. She said: "It is sad because it is the end of a piece of history.

"The market has had its ups and downs over the last few years but we had hoped they could find another location in North Wiltshire or in the county."

"I wish them luck on their new site and I'm pleased they have found one rather than losing the facility totally."

The fate of the livestock market has been in the balance for more two years, since site owners North Wiltshire District Council decided to rethink the future of the site.

A development brief suggested building housing on the site with some employment use an option picked up by the county council when it decided to relocate the record office from Trowbridge to Chippenham.

Plans to build a new market site at junction 17 of the M4 were brought forward but the scheme floundered because planners were unwilling to give the go-ahead for any extra facilities at the green-field site and market operators believed it would be too expensive to build one without ancillary services to help with the costs.

Mr Kingwill said: "The provision of a thriving, quality weekly market serving farmers is at the heart of this region's rural economy.

"This move marks the end of an era for Chippenham, but also gives the livestock market a promising future."

The market will be held at the Bristol Sales Centre close to the M5 and M4 and provides modern penning, an extensive concrete area and a new restaurant but it remains to be seen if north Wiltshire farmers will be tempted to take their stock down the M4 for a sale.