The final piece of the jigsaw in securing a new future for a former auction mart site is almost in place.

Wigton-based Hopes Auction Ltd wants to flatten its old mart in the town centre along with the other buildings on the site.

A housing developer along with a local businessman looking to create a foodhall have reportedly struck a deal to buy the prominent site, which was once earmaked for development by Tesco.

The retail giant performed a U-turn in 2014 and with Hopes already moving to a new multi-million pound base in Syke Road it left the company with huge debts.

Ever since then efforts have been made to find a buyer for the site.

The Cumberland News reported last month that buyers for the 13-acre site, off High Street, had finally been found - but all sides were working to confirm the deal.

In order for the plans to go ahead Hopes needs permission from Allerdale Council to demolish the remaining buildings on the site.

In February they were given the green light to do so after being successful in their bid for conservation area consent.

However, they still need listed building consent because the auction site shares a wall with a listed building known as The Vicarage.

The firm has now submitted that application for the council to consider.

If successful it will pave the way for the redevelopment of the site, which has regularly been dubbed an "eyesore" by locals.

Hopes' land agency manager, Ian Ritchie, said: "We are getting nearer in our negotiations to sell the site.

"Once we have got the negotiations fully finished it will be to demolish.

"We need to have everything in place so when the sale occurs it can be demolished."

One of the finer details of the application deals with the future of an historic wall between the auction and the listed building.

However, a report to planners states this will be retained.

Planning agents Edwin Thompson wrote: "It is the intention to restore the right flanking wall in stone to match the existing as an alternative to the lowering of the wall."

Mr Ritchie added: "It won't be demolished but it will be protected."

The impending sale of the land is also believed to effectively clear the £3.3m debts the company took on to build its new site in Syke Road.

A few other pieces of land are also being sold off by the company.

One of those was the Greenhill Hotel, on the outskirts of Wigton, which had also been sold to an unnamed local businessman and his wife.

It had an asking price of £950,000.