FOLLOWING a lengthy campaign, local pressure group Keep Abergavenny Livestock Market has dropped its legal objection to the repeal of the town's Improvement Acts – paving the way for a replacement livestock market at Bryngwyn and a Morrisons   supermarket on the current site.

The Abergavenny Improvement Acts of 1854 and 1871 compel the local authority to maintain a cattle market within the confines of the 19th century town boundary.

However Monmouthshire County Council successfully applied to the Welsh Government to have the acts repealed, as they were no longer fit for purpose, and the Acts were finally dissolved in March 2012.

Last week Jennifer Long, a founder member of KALM, informed the Court of Appeal through her legal team that, following the failure of her Judicial Review, she would not be pursuing her appeal against the repeal of the Acts.

Additionally Jack Hanbury-Tenison has confirmed that he will no longer be opposing the Inspector's decision to uphold the compulsory purchase of shooting rights over a small portion of the council-owned site for the replacement market at Bryngwyn.

These two decisions remove all the legal hurdles preventing the closure of Abergavenny Cattle Market and moving forward with the construction of its replacement market at Bryngwyn.

The County Council announced yesterday that the contract to build the new market at Bryngwyn has been given to Morgan Sidnall, a Glamorgan-based company. 

It is hoped that work will begin in March once the current work on the adjacent highway has been completed. 

Construction of the market is due to be completed in the late summer, with the transfer from Abergavenny taking place shortly afterwards, keeping the promise the authority made not to leave the county's farmers without a livestock market at any point in this process.

Project Director Steve Greenslade said, "It is great news that KALM has now abandoned its intention to go to the Court of Appeal and challenge a Judge's decision to reject their Judicial Review of the Minister's decision to repeal the ancient Abergavenny Acts.

"Further welcome news is that the owner of the shooting rights at the council-owned Bryngwyn site has indicated he will not oppose the decision of the Inspector to uphold the compulsory purchase of those rights by the council. 

"We now have the 'green light' to proceed with the project to replace the out-dated Abergavenny market with a new 21st century facility at Bryngwyn. 

"This has been a priority of the county council for many years and it is simply a shame that the council has had to face considerable costs and waste so much time in defending the democratic decisions of elected councillors. 

"Their resolve has been tested through the last two county council elections and polls carried out by the Abergavenny Chronicle have consistently confirmed the public desire to use the old livestock market site within the central shopping area for a supermarket.

"Once the new market is built and livestock sales transferred from Abergavenny, we should be in a position to hand the site over to Morrisons."

Councillor Bob Greenland, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet member with responsibility for regeneration, said, "I understand the only legal process now being pursued by KALM is against the development of a supermarket on the Abergavenny market site, where they are intending to go to the Court of Appeal and challenge a judge's decision  to reject their Judicial Review. 

"With the legal challenges to Bryngwyn and the repeal of the Abergavenny Acts at an end, surely KALM must now accept the livestock market will be moving from Abergavenny to Bryngwyn later this year? 

""The fact that the Keep Abergavenny Livestock Market group now appears to be considering a further legal challenge to the new supermarket seems strange, given its name and stated aims."

"Perhaps this is not so odd however when you consider that some members of KALM are also prominent in the Friends of the Earth campaigning group, which has voiced its opposition to supermarkets in the past."

Tom Davies, operations manager for Morgan Sindall, said, "We're pleased to be in a position to bring the livestock market and auction house to Monmouthshire.

"The modern facility is designed to best meet the needs of the farming community in the 21st century. Morgan Sindall has extensive experience in delivering a wide range of construction projects and is looking forward to working closely with Monmouthshire County Council on this significant development."