Property consultancy drive forward Darlington livestock market plans

Bosses at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart (DFAM) are driving forward plans for their new livestock market on the outskirts of Darlington with the appointment of a North East property firm.

WMC North East has been brought on board to secure detailed planning consent and manage the development of a new agricultural centre and livestock market at Humbleton Farm, on the A68 near Darlington.

The current site on Clifton Road in Darlington has suffered from disruption due to its central location, and the developers say the out-of-town site is more suitable.

Planning consent has already been secured and if detailed planning is given the go-ahead, WMC North East will oversee the construction of the facility, calling upon architects, designers and engineers to produce a design.

As part of the masterplan, the consultancy will also be responsible for securing a range of ancillary services on site, by attracting complimentary businesses along with the potential for a green energy plant to create a long-term sustainable future for the site.

The company is also working closely with Darlington Borough Council, the current owners of the Clifton Road site, to ensure all the planning requirements are met. In addition the team are facilitating the sale of a site on Neasham Road owned by DFAM - which already has residential planning consent - to provide capital for the proposed development at Humbleton Farm.

Tony Ward, project director, Darlington Farmers Auction Market, said: “The proposed new facility and wider masterplan will bring a much improved service to all our customers and the farming community in general, as well as providing employment opportunities during construction and once opened.

“We brought WMC North East on board as we are aware of the team’s proven expertise in the commercial property development field and we know that they can deliver. Trevor, Chris and the team have demonstrated their knowledge of the property market through the developments of large-scale business parks like Wynyard Park, as well as managing projects such as the recent construction of the new multi-million Nifco factory in Stockton.”

Matt Johnson of WMC who will be leading the project, said: “We are delighted to be appointed by Darlington Farmers Auction Market, who have a long tradition of providing livestock auctioneering services across the north east. We look forward to working with the team to progress the development and to creating a purpose built agricultural centre, enabling the expansion to meet the future needs of this long-standing company.”