Livestock market to relocate miles outside city

11 hours ago

Owen SennittLocal Democracy reporter

News image — Despite being at Hall Road since the 1960s, the livestock market will relocate to an area of farmland off the A47 at North Tuddenham

PA Media Up close to the camera is the nose of a black and white cow. Its nostrils are close to the lens. A similar animal is next to it. — Despite being at Hall Road since the 1960s, the livestock market will relocate to an area of farmland off the A47 at North Tuddenham

A city's livestock market that dates from the Anglo-Saxon period has found a new location 15 miles away.

The livestock market in Norwich has been at its current site off Hall Road since the 1960s. It is in need of extensive repairs which are estimated to cost about £3m to bring it up to standard.

Norwich City Council, which is responsible for it, has said it would relocate to farmland on Fox Lane, south of the A47 at North Tuddenham.

Roger Long, a farmer who has been involved in discussions about the move, said: "This will be something the whole county can be proud of."

A Saxon-era market was in the Tombland area and after the 1066 Norman Conquest it moved to the Mancroft area, where the current covered market is. By the 1300s, it sold fish, meat, cloth, vegetables, shoes and livestock.

The market grew and became too congested and in 1738 a separate livestock market was created near Norwich Castle. It moved to the current Hall Road site in 1960.

However, in recent years, it has been the target of animal right activists.

Getty Images A historic drawing of Norwich's livestock market, probably from the 19th Century. Norwich Castle is prominent in the background on the right as the market was situated at a site near the castle. In the background of the picture if the spire of Norwich Cathedral. Within the sketch there are people walking around and animals including cows and sheep in pens. — A separate livestock market was set up in the Castle Dykes area in the 18th Century

Norwich City Council said there were no financially viable alternative sites in the city and has sought to relocate it outside its boundary, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The process of relocation has involved a change to an Act of Parliament that had required City Hall to provide the facility within Norwich's boundaries.

The change allows the market to be moved within 16 miles of the Hall Road site.

MPs previously backed a bill to ensure any new market must match the existing one and be fairly close to the A11, A47 or A140 so livestock producers could get there relatively easily.

Norwich City Council remains responsible for providing the facility, even though the new North Tuddenham site is in the Breckland District Council area.

Following months of speculation, the location of the new site was revealed after the council began a tendering process to find a project manager to help move the facility.

The site will also be home to new industrial units, shops and an overnight lorry park to provide further income.

The facility for lorries could also help keep diesel lorries out of the city with loads dropped off at the park to then be transported into the city on electric vehicles.

Long, who is a farmer near Dereham, said he was pleased with the new location and added that the current site remained busy with farmers travelling to it from across the country.

He said: "Now I want to see action and see something built.

"Just making it a market would not be viable — it needs to be something else."

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