Hawes auction mart has announced a new joint venture with a leading firm of chartered surveyors.

This is the latest development in its bid to diversify the services and facilities available on the site.

The mart has been an important centre for Wensleydale for more than 90 years but foot-and-mouth and agri-environment schemes such as countryside stewardship and en- vironmentally sensitive areas have led to a dramatic decline in livestock numbers.

In 1997, the mart sold more than 204,000 head of livestock but this dropped to 119,000 - more than 40pc down - by 2002.

The mart saw little chance of numbers being restored and has looked for ways of diversifying the business.

At last week's annual meeting, the directors announced a new joint venture with George F White, the chartered surveyors, land and estate agents.

Maurice Hall, company secretary and general manager of the mart, described the move as one of the most significant business milestones in the mart's history.

"In these times we need to seek out other sources of business to sustain our core business - a livestock mart," he said.

"Our aim is to give Hawes auction mart the opportunity to provide farmers, members of the community and visitors to the area, another reason to use our site."

George F White will, at first, attend the mart each Tuesday to offer chartered surveying services and will also develop a residential property agency.

Partner Nigel Foster and his team from the Bedale office will be present and will in future open an office on site.

"This is an exciting and challenging step forward for both Hawes Farmers' Auction Mart and George F White to further expand their business and, most importantly, offer farmers and landowners in Upper Wensleydale on-site rural consultancy services and assistance," Mr Foster said.

Hawes Farmers' Auction Mart has 370 share holders and serves more than 1,000 vendors in the upper and surrounding dales.

It is nationally renowned for specialising in selling high quality store and breeding Mule and Swaledale sheep