Wetherby - Present Day

Present Day

The Forensic Science Service has a laboratory in Wetherby on Sandbeck Way. This is part of the town's large Sandbeck Industrial Estate, also home to Goldenfry Foods, Swift Research Ltd and the town's working men's club.

Wetherby racecourse is a National Hunt racecourse, situated on the B1224 York Road. Opposite the racecourse is Wetherby Young Offender Institution. There is also Wealston Prison situated at Thorp Arch just outside of the town.

Wetherby has a pedestrianised shopping centre The Horsefair Centre, which includes a Morrisons supermarket, Boots the Chemist, Superdrug, Clinton Cards, Specsavers and many other shops. The centre was built in the 1970s after the council decided in the 1960s to opt for a purpose built shopping precinct as opposed to developing the existing town centre into a pedestrian precinct. It underwent further significant development between 2002 and 2005. Original plans for the redevelopment of the town centre, speculated pedestrianising either the High Street or Market Place, building a relief road, bypassing the High Street and demolishing the Red Lion public house and replacing it with modern offices.

The town's branch of Kwiksave recently closed down and has since reopened as a Sainsbury's. This is now Wetherby's fourth supermarket, competing with a Co-op, a Marks and Spencers and the largest of all, the Morrisons branch, which carries the large modern layout of Morrison's flagship branches.

For many years, the Co-op in the Horsefair Centre was the town's main supermarket, other chains looked at moving into the town to compete with the Co-op, Sainsburys looked at building on Micklethwaite Farm, Tesco looked at building on the Jarvis Hotel, Safeway looked at demolishing the lorry park and Hallfields Mansions, diverting Hallfield lane and building a supermarket there, in the end, however Morrisons purchase the Horsefair Centre and went about redeveloping much of the shopping centre as well as the former Co-op supermarket. Sainsburys have now bought the Ramada Hotel site and are planning to build a supermarket at this location.

Since its closure in the 1990s, the town's cattle market has been redeveloped as flats and a Marks and Spencer store. This is an indication of the changing aspect of Wetherby, no longer a rural town but a growing town situated within the Leeds commuter belt.

In August 2008 the MOTO Wetherby service station opened on the B1224, A1(M) intersection, this consists of a BP filling station, a WH Smiths, the town's second Costa Coffee, the town's second Marks and Spencer and a Burger King.

On 1 October 2008 the new Wetherby healthcare centre Hallfield Lane Wetherby was officially opened by Colin Burgon Labour Member of Parliament for Elmet The centre was completed in May 2008 and services have been provided from the building since June 2008. The centre has revamped healthcare in Wetherby bringing a range of services under one roof, these include Podiatry Physiotherapy and a baby clinic.

Wetherby is the home to the Martin House Hospice, which provides care and support to families in which there is a child or children with a short life expectancy.