RESIDENTS?of Hatherleigh who are concerned that the town may lose its livestock market are being urged to lobby West Devon?Borough Council and Central?Devon?MP?Mel Stride.

Market owners Vicks are looking for alternatives for the site, but any plans will have to include the popular pannier market held every Tuesday.

Around 100 residents turned out to a meeting to discuss how to 'Protect the Livestock Market' at a meeting in the Vine Church last Wednesday. The church was packed and people arriving late had to sit in the balcony or stand at the back.

The meeting was organised by a number of Hatherleigh residents concerned about the town's future should the market close. Among those attending was West Devon Borough Cllr Christine Hall, the ward member for Hatherleigh.

Concerns on the effects the market closure would have on the town, included knock-on effects to businesses and tourism, how the organisation of Hatherleigh Carnival may be affected, and the stresses more housing would put on the town's infrastructure.

A team of ten residents was elected to form a committee to discuss a plan of action for all those objecting to the closure of the market site.

Three members of the new committee, Peter Ferris, Madeleine Taylor and Rachel Laycock, will join a town council working group to discuss the latest updates on the site.

Development company LHC is still looking at the feedback received from more than 300 Hatherleigh residents at the public consultation event held at the community centre on July 14.

Once completed the developers will share their outcomes with Hatherleigh Town Council. The feedback received at the public consultation event will lead to the preparation of the initial design proposal for the site.

Peter Ferris, who was elected vice-chair of the public committee, said: 'This doesn't appear to even be on the agenda of West Devon Borough Council.

'Their main objective should be, in Devon, to protect things like the Hatherleigh Market. It seems stupid that the borough council, on the one hand promotes business and the local economy, yet on the other would even consider getting rid of the one thing that brings business and tourism to Hatherleigh.

'I don't think anyone here thinks that the whole market site will remain as it is. But there is a trade-off between a valuable market being left and the development of some housing on the site.'

Martin Goord, who was also elected to the public committee, said: 'This needs to remain a community market.

'When the Hatherleigh charter was given many years ago, that surely should give the market to Hatherleigh as a town.

'The town council should be able to buy or control some of the market, and we need to see how that can happen.'

Geoff Hodgkinson from Exbourne felt emotion should be tempered in favour of compromise: 'When the committee discusses what we all can do to prevent the market closure, there has to be room for a proactive, positive side to all this.

'We need to act

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