A Welsh Government consultation on the repeal of the Abergavenny Improvement Acts is to take place without involvement from local people much to the anger and disappointment of campaigners fighting to keep the town's livestock market open.

Keep Abergavenny Livestock Market (KALM) has fiercely campaigned to keep the livestock market in the town and is furious that the consultation over the Improvement Acts will involve only those directly involved with the market - the auctioneers, farming unions and town council.

In 2009 KALM delivered a petition to the Welsh Government with nearly 4,700 shopper signatures and another 303 letters with farmer signatures calling for the retention of the Abergavenny Acts.

A petitions committee sitting in July agreed to write to the Minister for Local Government and Communities, Carl Sargeant to, highlight the petitioners' concerns about the consultation process and seek assurances that the petitioners will be involved in any further consultation and seek further information on how the consultation on the repeal of the Improvement Acts will be undertaken.

However, a consultation which ends on November 12 will now only include representatives of the NFU, the FUW, local auctioneers AMAL, and the town council.

Campaigner Barry Greenwood said, "A KALM member received a letter from a senior Welsh Government official two years ago which includes this unambiguous statement, 'From the documents released, the Minister has made it clear that any repeal of the Acts would be subject to a full public consultation exercise, after the conclusion of planning procedures.' 

Yet suddenly and mysteriously, the promise of "a full public consultation exercise" has shrunk to about 15 people.

The Abergavenny Improvements Acts protect the livestock market for local farmers which KALM says in turn preserves the economic, tourism and social benefits that flow from being an 800 year old market town. 

Mr Greenwood said, "If the Acts are swept away, all that will end, with dramatic consequences for the town.  KALM thinks that such a momentous decision deserves better than a shabby, near-secret deal with 15 people, and that the whole community should be consulted, as promised."

KALM says it also has documents from Welsh Government Officials which make it clear that the Minister could not take this decision on his own, but would need to involve the National Assembly. 

But they are in receipt of a recent letter from the Minister's own office which now says he will make the decision on his own without reference to the Assembly. 

"Over the years there has been a steady 'mission creep' from a proper democratic community involvement including Assembly Members, to an undemocratic stitch-up by a tiny handful of people," said Mr Greenwood.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said, "This consultation is about whether the council should continue to be legally obliged, under the Abergavenny Improvement Acts, to hold a livestock market in the town on specified days.

"We have long said that that we would consider repealing these Acts if and when the council took the decision to close the current cattle market.  We have no interest in or responsibility for that decision, or for the related proposals to move the market to Raglan and construct a supermarket on the current site.  Likewise, the Acts do not protect the current site from redevelopment.   

"Monmouthshire County Council granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the current market site in June.

"We are therefore now consulting with representatives of market users, the National Farmers Union; Farmers Union of Wales; Abergavenny Market Auctioneers Ltd,  along with Abergavenny Town Council regarding the repeal of the Acts."

KALM say the Welsh Government is aware of the strength of local feeling about the cattle market and delivered a petition to them in 2009.

Mr Greenwood said, "A conspiracy theorist might conclude that it's precisely because the Welsh Government know that a full public consultation would deliver the answer they don't want that they have staged a near-secret stitch-up to get the answer they do want.  Luckily, KALM are not conspiracy theorists.

"This is a travesty of the openness, transparency and empowering of local people that the Welsh Government claim to stand for. We mustn't let them get away with it. 

"People should demand of their AMs and of the Minister the full public consultation about this momentous decision that we were promised. 

"Email constituency AM Nick Ramsay on:  [email protected]">[email protected]   and email Carl Sargeant on  [email protected]">[email protected].  Other AM contact details can be found at http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org">www.senedd.assemblywales.org

"We have until November 12 to save the town that most of us know and love," said Mr Greenwood.