Green light given to relocate key south east livestock market

Plans to relocate one of the south east’s key livestock markets have been approved, in a move expected to secure the future of trading at Thame.

South Oxfordshire District Council has granted planning permission for the relocation of Thame Farmers Auction Mart to a site on the outskirts of the town, subject to conditions, with the project expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.

The upgraded facility, to be developed in partnership with W. Lamb Developments, will be located near the Christmas Hill Business Park and is intended to replace the current town centre site.

Livestock trading in Thame dates back to the Middle Ages, with the existing purpose-built market in North Street operating since 1951.

The relocation is also expected to ease congestion, noise and disruption in the town centre, while providing improved facilities for market users and the wider community.

Richard Roff, chairman of Thame Farmers Auction Mart, said the decision marked a major milestone for the sector.

He said the move would “secure the future of livestock trading in the South East” at a time when a number of markets across the UK have closed in recent years.

Further work will be required to meet planning conditions before the project can progress.

The development will include features such as covered pens and improved infrastructure, with the changes expected to support growth and attract more buyers and sellers.

It will also offer better facilities for hauliers and create the potential for increased sales opportunities and additional operating days.

Commercial units on part of the site will help fund the development.

Roff said the relocation would allow Thame’s long-standing connection with livestock sales, dating back to its Market Charter in 1215, to continue while addressing issues linked to the current site.

The future of the existing market site remains under consideration by the council.