GAZETTE & HERALD: NORTH Wiltshire District Council was obliged to take on outside consultants to help draw up a marketing brief for the livestock market site in Cocklebury Road, Chippenham, because of staff shortages.

Coun Toby Sturgis said the council was not allowed to take on new staff and consequently outside help was needed to draw up a design brief to market the site.

Leader Coun Ruth Coleman said the council was not able to put the site on the market until the future of the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office was known and the amount of land it would take on the cattle market site.

"It has now been agreed to proceed and we can put together plans for marketing," said Coun Coleman.

The livestock market is part of the Cocklebury Road Development Brief, which offers planning guidelines for the redevelopment of land north and south of the railway line, including Langley Park and Wiltshire College.

The livestock market site has been earmarked for housing, with an employment element.

Premier has been running a livestock market from the site on a month by month basis.

It will be forced to relocate once development gets underway.

Outline plans for a new livestock market near junction 17 of the M4 were submitted but they were later withdrawn.

Coun Coleman said the area was not included in the emerging Local Plan as an area for development.

An application for housing in the brief area has already been submitted by Hartwell to build a housing estate on the site of the Hartwell Ford Garage in Cocklebury Road.

The outline application for 39 homes and 42 car parking spaces with a new vehicular access was submitted to the district council.