HEREFORDSHIRE Council has put forward its plan to site a new livestock market on the outskirts of Hereford.

Located between Stretton Sugwas and Bobblestock, the council hopes the new market will safeguard the future of farming in the county.

It will also free up nearly eight acres in the centre of Hereford, set to be used by the Edgar Street Grid (ESG) developers.

The new market will contain a 7,250 square-metre covered market building with a sheep and cattle ring, plus more than 300 car and trailer parking spaces.

Also in the plans are offices, a café and toilets, with landscaped areas, a wildflower meadow and wildlife conservation area.

Room has been left to possibly keep animals overnight in the future, including covered holding pens, water points and feed bunkers.

A new access junction will be built on the Roman Road and a new road created onto the site.

“The livestock market is undergoing a boom period,”

said Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member for resources.

“This is a tribute to the tenacity and hard work of our local farmers who have fought off the devastating effects of foot-and-mouth and Bluetongue to recover their markets in what is currently a very difficult economic environment.

“With new challenges on climate change and rising food prices, and with a growing market for locally sourced food, the farming community has an even stronger case now for the provision of a livestock market in Herefordshire.”

The building, penning and livestock provision has been agreed after talks with Herefordshire trading standards, animal welfare and Defra animal health representatives, as well as specialist livestock market consultants.

The council hopes the new site will cut traffic congestion in the city centre each Wednesday market day.

A Parliamentary Bill was passed in 2003 to move the historic market out of the city centre.

The council is arranging public events for residents and businesses to see the proposals, which were submitted this week.

The plans are expected to be considered by the council’s central planning committee next month.