AMBITIOUS plans for South Lakeland’s only auction market have hit a setback after Preston Patrick Parish Council voted to oppose the proposal.

The multi-million pound project would see Kendal’s old livestock market in Appleby Road replaced by 94 homes, with a new auction mart built on a 25-acre site at Moss End, by junction 36 of the M6.

The parish council felt that the scheme would affect local residents because of its scale, increased traffic and possible parking on verges.

It also felt the roundabout at the A65/A6070 junction was inadequate to deal with the increased traffic. It said the scheme also conflicted with development plan policies which safeguarded the appearance of the landscape.

But farmers are still keen to see the site located at the proposed site. Cartmel farmer Trevor Wilson, a director at auction mart owners L&K Group, said: “You could not find a better location for an auction mart than this.”

If approved by South Lakeland District Council, the joint venture by L & K Group, which owns the auction mart, and prop-erty developers Time and Tide, would see one, two and three-bedroom homes – 47 of which would be affordable – built in Kendal.

An application to relocate the mart to Deepthwaite, Crooklands, was turned down in March.

South Lakeland District Council’s planning committee is due to discuss the application in early 2011.