Normanton’s new auction centre is open for business

Aston Barclay officially opened what it claims is Europe’s most advanced vehicle auction centre at Photon Park in Normanton last week.
Aston Barclay opening at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, February 1, 2019.Aston Barclay opening at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, February 1, 2019.
Aston Barclay opening at Wakefield, West Yorkshire, February 1, 2019.

The ceremony was conducted by Wakefield’s mayor Coun Stuart Heptinstall who drove the first car through the auction.

The site which covers 18 acres, will host 15 dealer and fleet auctions per month and has the capacity to sell 50,000 used cars per year.

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It will employ nearly 100 local people, which includes 20 staff from Morley-based Independent Car Auctions and 30 from the Wakefield- based The Car Buying Group which Aston Barclay has just acquired.

Aston Barclay will immediately transfer its current Leeds auction sales activity and its 40 staff to the new centre which will also become home to its digital solutions team and its group finance operation.

The centre features two glass-fronted auction halls, interactive screens and artificial intelligence (AI).

It is hoped that the site will become the ultimate destination for the local motor trade with leisure facilities, a gourmet restaurant, and meeting rooms freely available to use and will transform the buying and selling experience both physically and online.

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It has fully lit, air conditioned, dust-free internal storage for 200 cars and external parking for 2,500 cars.

Aston Barclay’s CEO Neil Hodson said, “Wakefield is a game-changer for the re-marketing sector and there is no other auction facility like it in Europe. We have created a five-star, dynamic environment filled with new technology which will be a great working environment for our buyers, vendors and colleagues alike.”