Farmers try to save cattle market

Farmers have formed a consortium to buy the site

Farmers in Northamptonshire are to renew their efforts to buy a cattle market following the announcement that plans to move the sale elsewhere have fallen through.

The current owners of the Brackmills site in Northampton had wanted to move to Market Harborough after closing the market on 31 October, despite farmers' protests.

But now Northamptonshire Auctions says it cannot afford to rent the Market Harborough site, meaning farmers will have to take their livestock to Thrapston.

Farmers who formed a consortium to buy up the Brackmills site say they will now hold further talks with the market's owners and the council.

Planning meeting

Trevor Fosse of the National Farmers' Union said: "It's vital that it's seen as a livestock market and nothing else.

"We are meeting hopefully very shortly again with the borough planners and the planning committee to once again get a total commitment from them that they won't allow a change of use."

He added farmers wanted Northamptonshire Auctions to delay the sale of the pens and weighbridges at Brackmills, scheduled for 4 November.

New regulations

The Brackmills market reopened in February 2002 after being closed throughout the foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Northamptonshire Auctions said it was losing thousands of pounds a month keeping it running.

The directors blamed new regulations governing the movement of livestock for contributing to the market's problems.

They said a move to Market Harborough would reduce overheads.