At present work on the 50-hectare complex at Humbleton Farm is on hold until April, when the backers find out whether a bid for support from the Government’s new regional growth fund has proved successful.
The auction mart company had intended to finance the new centre from the sale of land for housing, but the plan was scuppered by the fall in land values.
The mart will include a 15-plot, 12-hectacre business park for agriculture companies, a biogas plant and parking.
The auction mart company wants to move from its 121-year-old town centre site where the twice-weekly sales cause problems for residents, including issues with noise, smells and parking, as well as traffic congestion.