THE race to make Somerset's new livestock market fit for the 21st Century is hotting up.

Taunton Market is set to move to the outskirts of Wellington, within two years, but Sedge-moor District Council is still plugging plans for a rural re- gional centre near Bridgwater.

And the authority fired a pre-Christmas broadside at its Taun-ton Deane rivals with a press release trumpeting its proposals and announcing a planning application for part of the site.

But with a full planning application for land at Chelston near junction 26 of the M5 imminent and the Deane fully committed to Taunton Market's future, the race is on.

In a statement issued on Christmas Eve, Sedgemoor's ec-onomic development boss, Cllr Dennis Davey, said his council's plans made "strategic sense" for the South-West.

"We understand why Taunton Deane Council and Taunton Market Auctioneers have the desire to see a replacement livestock market near the one that will be closed in Taunton, and that it's their right to do so as a partnership between the local authority and private business," he said.

"However, what's envisaged for Sedgemoor is much more than a livestock market.

"It has the potential to bring together many affiliated rural businesses, industries and en-terprises that will give a boost to the rural economy of the whole region."

But Cllr Davey's opposite number at Taunton Deane, Cllr Norman Cavill, says Sedge-moor's plans are a long way from becoming a reality.

Plans for a market at junction 24 of the M5 are well outside Sedgemoor's Local Plan, which sets out their development policy for the next decade.

"Their plans are less deliverable than ours," added Cllr Ca-vill.

"We have the local market auctioneers behind us and we're behind them.

"Our market will be strategic in exactly the same manner that theirs would be.

"It'll undoubtedly serve the South-West and regions further afield.

"Taunton Market is going from strength to strength and is already recognised as a regional market."