Farmers who have traditionally bought and sold livestock and fresh produce through Derby Livestock and Produce Markets have expressed their deep concern and disappointment at the news that Derby City Council intends to close the market next year.
The news, released via Council Cabinet papers and first published in the Derby Telegraph on Tuesday (7 July), has added considerable anxiety for farmers already facing reduced prices and rising overheads.
NFU’s county adviser for Derbyshire, Andrew Critchlow said: “Derby market has been part of the fabric of livestock, dairy and fresh fruit and vegetable production for many generations. Many farmers rely on the market for the sale of their animals and produce and as a weekly meeting place to catch up on news from the industry and beyond.
“Although we knew that the Council had concerns over the viability of the market and that it was minded to close the site, the sudden announcement that it will close next May has come as a shock. There has been no consultation with the NFU, local farmers and even the auctioneers have had no advance notice of the closure We will be calling upon the Council to defer the decision to allow time for alternatives to be explored.”
Derby City Council has said that the site makes a loss and that it is unsustainable to keep it open as a livestock and produce market. The site, off the A52 and near to the centre of the city, would be demolished and alternative industrial or warehousing use is being considered. However, there has been no thought given to how the markets’ site could be developed and maintain the existing livestock and produce sales areas or how existing tenants and the Council could work together in future to make the site sustainable for existing uses.
Local NFU group secretary, Jim Watt, said: “We will be consulting our members over the coming days and weeks and investigating whether there is any possibility of the market remaining at Chequers Road or if there can be a replacement site for the market. We’ve already asked for and arranged a meeting with the City Council official responsible for the Council’s report, for next week and we will be making a very strong case for a continuation of the markets.
“There are alternative livestock markets in Derbyshire and the surrounding counties, but many are more than an hour’s drive away, which makes selling livestock much more inconvenient and longer journeys are more stressful for the animals. Some businesses will be badly impacted by the Council’s decision. We will be challenging the Derby City Council to justify its proposal to close the site, without any prior consultation and its lack of any plans for the future or for an alternative market site.”
Alastair Sneddon, senior partner in Bagshaws a partner firm in Derby Market Auctions, said that he felt the decision to demolish the markets’ site was being made with indecent haste.
“As partners in the auction company, we will be making the strongest representations to Derby City Council to defer the decision on the markets’ closure. We consider it to be indecently hasty that the Council’s Cabinet will consider the matter only a week after the announcement. It feels as if everyone is being railroaded into making the decision to close the markets when other options have not been fully explored.”
NFU understands that the Council official’s report on the rationalisation of the markets’ site will be considered at a Council Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 15 July. Although the public are allowed to attend the Cabinet meeting, no-one, other than councillors or officials may speak on the issue.
