Rural Affairs
Complaints lead to cattle mart court battle
OWNERS of a livestock mart have
vowed to go to court over a council's
plan to change the times animals
are delivered.
Following complaints from residents,
Darlington Borough
Council has served an abatement
notice on Darlington Farmers'
Auction Mart at its premises in
Clifton Road.
The council says deliveries
must not be made between 4am
and 7am.
However, the mart's owners
said the changes could lead to
traffic chaos and could also create
animal welfare problems because
it means animals being
sold at the mart for slaughter
may not be delivered to the abattoir
on the same day.
The mart's owners also said it
had been operating one the site
for many years, long before
neighbouring houses were built.
It plans to appeal against the
notice.
The council said the mart had
created a statutory noise nuisance
arising from "impact noise,
shouting, vehicle and animal
noise associated with the delivery
and collection of animals".
The mart operates once a week
and animals start arriving after
4am.
Simon Catterall, from Jackson
Solicitors, acting for the mart,
said: "Most people would have expected
some give-and-take between
these neighbours, particularly
when the cattle market,
like the railway station, was operating
long before nearby houses
were built.
"The farming community does
not agree with the way the council
is going about this and has
asked for the matter to be resolved
by the town's justices."
Ward councillor Cyndi Hughes
said: "Residents living near the
cattle mart have complained to
me about ever earlier deliveries
of animals with the associated
lorry engine noise, the vibration
and disturbances associated with
heavy vehicles careering over
speed bumps down Clifton Road
and the plaintive cries of the animals
themselves.
"This mart should not be in a
residential area causing disturbance
and nuisance. The sooner
it moves to an out-of-town location,
the better."
The mart is hoping to move to
£14m premises at Humbleton
Farm, off the A68 near Burtree,
just outside of Darlington.
However, people living close to
the proposed site have criticised
the plan. They say the mart will
create extra traffic on an already
busy road.
A council spokeswoman said:
"We served the notice following
complaints from residents. We
are aware the mart has appealed
against the notice and magistrates
will now decide whether to
uphold it, amend it or reject it.
"We have a duty to protect the
interests of residents and we are
working to find a solution."
8:58am Monday 28th January 2008
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CommentPosted by: merryn gibson, darlo on 1:58pm Mon 28 Jan 08
now if only the cattlemart was more easily accessable or in a more rural location we wouldnt have these problems. the cattle mart has been there alot longer than the residence of drlo can remember, but the vans/trucks used to move the livestock have never been sooo big, now to me that is the biggest problem for having the cattle mart where it is!
now if only the cattlemart was more easily accessable or in a more rural location we wouldnt have these problems. the cattle mart has been there alot longer than the residence of drlo can remember, but the vans/trucks used to move the livestock have never been sooo big, now to me that is the biggest problem for having the cattle mart where it is!
Posted by: Anon, Darlo on 4:37pm Tue 29 Jan 08
There was these 2 cows in a field and one says to the other, what do you think about this mad cow disease? the other cow replied it does'nt affect me it said, coz i'm a bloody duck, lol.
There was these 2 cows in a field and one says to the other, what do you think about this mad cow disease? the other cow replied it does'nt affect me it said, coz i'm a bloody duck, lol.
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