Auction of land adjacent to animal rescue center deferred following expressed concerns

A public auction by National Highways for two land plots has been postponed, an animal rescue center reported, following the event causing its staff “a lot of sleepless nights”. Personnel at Gables Cats and Dogs Home, situated in Plymstock, Devon, expressed being “shocked” when a sale sign appeared near their primary entrance on November 9. Claire Sparkes, the general manager, announced on Monday that the auction was moved from December 4 to February 2025. National Highways stated: “Given the concerns raised by neighbouring occupiers we have taken the decision to defer the auction to permit ample time for all parties to understand the extent of land to be sold and any impacts of this on them.” Ms. Sparkes indicated that the charity has sought to acquire the plots, totaling approximately 0.3 acres, since 2016, coinciding with the replacement of the Merafield Road bridge. She noted, “At the time we were negotiating with National Highways.” She added, “It all went quiet during the pandemic and since then, we haven’t really been able to get much of a response from them.” Nevertheless, following notification of the auction’s postponement, the charity has since established direct communication with National Highways. Ms. Sparkes commented, “It gives us the opportunity for our queries to be answered and our concerns over sale of this land.” She further described it as “positive steps in the right direction. We still have a long way to go but it is good news for our charity.” Upon the initial placement of the sign, Ms. Sparkes reported experiencing “a lot of sleepless nights.” She articulated her concerns, stating: “We are concerned about going to auction because we don’t know the price is going to get to. “It may be out of our reach.” Ms. Sparkes also expressed apprehension regarding the potential consequences for their facility: “We are really worried about what will happen to our site, our entrance… “We have dog paddocks behind both sets of land which are up for auction. “We have very noise sensitive dogs, and they are affected by what goes on around them, so whatever noise from whatever gets put there, it could have a have a huge impact on our animal’s welfare which is really worrying for us.“It also means we won’t be able to use these dog paddocks because a lot of our dogs are from abusive backgrounds and are terrified of strangers and noises.” Ms. Sparkes clarified that the charity does not “expect to get the land for free” and aims to negotiate a “fair price.” She outlined their primary goal: “Our main objective is to liaise with National Highways directly rather than having to go back to auction which itself is worrying because if there is a technical issue on the day, internet can go down or anything like that can happen last minute.“We do not want to be in that stressful situation. We may not get to that, but we are preparing ourselves for that possibility.” A fundraiser had been established to assist in raising funds for the auction. Ms. Sparkes conveyed her appreciation, stating: “A huge thanks to everyone’s support so far. We are grateful because it has enabled us to get this auction postponed. “The power of our local community strikes again. We are really grateful for everyone’s help and support.” A spokesperson for National Highways commented: “We appreciate and empathise with the animal shelter’s interest in the purchase of land close to their estate. “In terms of managing the public purse, all Government agencies, companies and departments, including National Highways, are bound by Treasury guidance and are obliged to sell surplus land at market value, which means, land should be offered to the public on the open market.“The sale of this land, by auction, provides a fair and transparent opportunity for any potential buyer to make a bid.”