South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | July | 29
From the Gazette, first published Friday 29th Jul 2005.
AN Easter Compton livestock sales centre which has been saving local farmers long and costly journeys to distant markets has closed down suddenly.
The Bristol Sales Centre at Washingpool Farm hosted its last auction yesterday following the breakdown of negotiations over long term leasing arrangements.
Auctioneers' firms have been given until this weekend to clear the site following the shock move to close the 10-acre centre owned by farmer Keith Sherrell.
The centre opened in 2000 as a base for a meat sales firm and pedigree stock auctions by Carlisle-based firm Harrison and Hetherington.
But activity increased significantly two years ago when Premiers Livestock and and machinery sales specialists Dreweatt Neate moved onto the site and began fortnightly sales.
The market was helping to make up for a serious shortage of livestock markets in the region following the loss of Gloucester, Chippenham and Cirencester markets.
It was throwing a lifeline not only to local farmers but also to livestock buyers and sellers from a much wider area across the West Country and South Wales.
Situated close to the Almondsbury interchange and just two miles from junction 17 of the M5, it was thought the site had the potential to develop into a major national centre.
The collapse came as both auctioneers' firms were preparing to sign sub leases with Harrison and Hetherington which has been using the site under a short-term lease.
Premier Livestock market director Peter Kingwill said the company moved new offices buildings to the site just a fortnight ago the closure decision was a major blow.
"It's a great, great shame," he said. "Our intention was to be there for the long term. This is awful news for us and for the farmers who have been using the centre. The demand was clearly there. More than 450 farmers were signed up with us so the demand was clearly there.
"The place was just getting moving. There was a lot of optimism about the whole operation and we understood that other firms would be moving in. We really thought that Washingpool Farm was going places.
"But for his own reasons Keith Sherrell has decided he didn't want to enter into a leasing agreement and as a consequence ourselves, Dreweatt Neatt and Harrison and Hetherington are out of Washingpool Farm."
Mr Kingwill said he hoped that a good number of clients would continue to use the firm's services at Frome and Yeovil livestock markets.
For livestock producers in the South Gloucestershire and North Bristol area th the nearest market are now at Andoversford near Cheltenham, Frome and Highbridge in Somerset and Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire.
Mr Sherrell said he no plans for the immediate future of the site but declined to comment further.
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