Shaftesbury Cattle Market campaigners lose legal challenge

Southern Counties Auctioneers has leased the market site since 1967

Campaigners have lost their legal bid to stop a council from selling a 60-year-old cattle market.

North Dorset District Council (NDDC) agreed in April to sell Shaftesbury Cattle Market to Lidl.

The town council opposed the move and campaign group Justice for Shaftesbury lodged an application for a judicial review following a parish poll.

The High Court has now refused permission for a review and campaigners said it would be too costly to appeal.

Peter Yeo, from Justice for Shaftesbury, said: "We believe there is a very good case against NDDC for deciding to secretly sell of this crown jewel of publicly owned land in the centre Shaftesbury."

The cattle market off Christys Lane was established in 1955. Southern Counties Auctioneers (SCA) has leased the site since 1967 .

'Creating jobs'

NDDC said cattle sales were in decline and markets were now held fortnightly rather than weekly.

Michael Roake, North Dorset District Council's cabinet member for environment, described the High Court decision as a "positive outcome".

"A new supermarket for the town will attract more visitors to Shaftesbury, boosting the economy and creating more jobs."

Mr Yeo said there were at least two other sites where a Lidl store would be better placed.

He added: "NDDC are based in Dorchester. They do not care what is best for the farmers or for the people of Shaftesbury 40 miles away.

"It is the last cattle market in north Dorset, still greatly in demand by numerous local farmers who have only reduced its use as they were told it was closing, not because there is no demand.

"[The council] has made no provision for any other cattle market."