A majority of farmers are "overwhelmingly supportive" of a proposed relocation of Norwich Livestock Market, according to a report ahead of a crucial city council vote.

The fortnightly market has operated from Hall Road since the 1960s and its leaseholder, Norwich City Council, has a statutory responsibility to "provide, regulate and maintain a market" within the city boundary under the Norwich City Council Act 1984.

The authority says retaining the ageing auction facility at its current location is "not economic and operationally effective", while other urban locations are "not economically feasible" - so it is considering relocating the market to a new site outside the city boundary.

But to do this, it needs an amendment to the 1984 act, by submitting a new private bill to parliament - a formal legal process which prompted a public consultation during the summer.

An officer's report to the council says the consultation responses were "overwhelmingly supportive of the proposals".

And when councillors vote on the proposals on October 15, the report recommends they should authorise the deposit of the bill before November 27, in order to secure parliamentary time during 2024/25.

Of the 349 consultation responses, 50pc were from market users and 32pc were from farmers and members of the NFU (National Farmers' Union).

In total, 73pc supported the councils’ proposals to secure a new bill for the relocation of the market outside the city boundary, while 16pc opposed it and 11pc were unsure.

The support focuses on "the need to deliver improve facilities, increase accessibility, improve adjacency to major road networks, additional parking, improved animal welfare and biosecurity facilities and improve waste management facilities", says the report.

Issues of food security and reduced food miles were also highlighted.

Meanwhile opposing views were summarised under three broad areas of concern - accessibility and inconvenience, heritage and tradition, and economic and community impact.

Some thought the current market was already accessible and moving it could lead to further disruptions and increased travel times for farmers and market users.

But the report says: "directors of NLM and the NFU, and most respondents, however, believe that a relocation of the market should increase the market's connectivity and accessibility with existing market users and new customers from the south and west of the region".

Concerns were also raised that relocating the market would result in a "loss of tradition and identity", but the council says it will continue to have close links and proximity to the city, while the authority will "continue to retain a major interest in the market by way of its statutory obligation".

In response to concerns about the potential relocation costs, the council says it is "seeking to partner with other business organisations to share these costs reducing the financial burden on council taxpayers" and reiterated the "significant financial implications of keeping the site in situ".

The report says 93pc of the responses were from Norfolk, "indicating the importance of the market to the Norfolk area".

In addition to the public consultation, the report says there has been "extensive discussions" with Norwich Livestock Market and the wider farming community - and all Norfolk MPs have been formally briefed "to secure their support to the promotion of the bill".

While the draft bill does not promote any particular new location, the report says two sites close to the A47 are "currently under consideration", with full business cases expected to come forward in separate reports to the council's cabinet.