TRADERS have criticised a decision to allow the Tented Market to be demolished after developers won their appeal against the council, which had refused their restaurant plans.

The news came to light yesterday following Wednesday’s Planning Inspectorate hearing.

But business owners in Market Street were left in the dark regarding the decision – and only found out when they had a look at the Adver website.

Initial plans for the Tented Market demolition and redevelopment, which would see five restaurants be built in its space, were submitted last December.

Since then a number of traders have been vocal in their endeavours to put a stop to the idea, including Natalie Giles, who owns Munchies Café.

“Yet again, we find out through third party what is going on,” the 40-year-old said.

“We thought we had saved the market in June and we managed to get our emails in for the appeal so to hear this is heart-breaking. We’ve been here 18 months and we are just getting established and getting our name out there.”

Dillan James, 32, who owns the tattoo studio in the tented market, said: “To find out now with Christmas coming up is disappointing because there are no alternative arrangements for us from the council.

“At Christmas last year, every unit was rented out and then we got the notice about the plans and people fell away and since then it has affected our footfall.”

Owner of the Godbarber, Keilly Avenell, 34, who has been in the Tented Market for four years, said: “If we had the money to go to the High Court to appeal their appeal we would, but we can’t afford that.

“We feel let down by the council because they haven’t told us a single thing.”

Planning officers at the council initially recommended that the plans should be given the green light but when the decision had to be made at the planning committee in June, councillors went against their advice after hearing no alternatives were in place for the business owners.

Coun Kevin Parry (Cons, Covingham & Dorcan), chairman of the planning committee, said: “It was a mixed vote and I personally was in favour of the application because it was a good design going forward and would enhance the area.”

Other concerns raised included the loss of affordable small business premises in the town and the importance of having a market in the town.

Coun Stan Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) said: “Without a shadow of a doubt, demolishing the market would lose part of the town centre’s character and it would be a loss to what the town centre has to offer.”

The Planning Inspectorate also decided the council must pay all of developer CIP (Leonard Street) Limited’s costs, a sum which has not yet been made public.

INSPECTOR Stephen Hawkins decided to overturn Swindon Borough Council’s decision on the development for a number of reasons. In his report, he said: “When I visited the market hall, it had a very limited retail offer, with the majority of units being either entirely vacant or closed.

“All of this reduced the attractiveness of the market hall to visitors, a point perhaps illustrated by the negligible pedestrian footfall I observed during my visit. According to the evidence supplied, this has led to the position where the operator of the market says they are not covering their costs.

“The above leads me to conclude that the market hall does not currently make a significant contribution to the vitality and viability of the town centre and, moreover, its future operation is unlikely to be sustainable.

“Secondly, it leads to the conclusion that the small number of businesses currently occupying units in the market hall that would be displaced, together with developing small businesses that would otherwise have occupied a unit there, are likely to be accommodated in premises elsewhere in the town centre, such as the Brunel centre market or in vacant shop units.

“I find that the proposal would achieve a high standard of urban design which would be both sympathetic to and improve the surrounding townscape and it would not cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the area.

“Although the design of the existing tented structure does give the locality some sense of identity, it nonetheless has a somewhat tired and run-down appearance. The general absence of activity on its frontages coupled with the presence of some solid roller shutters on the Market Street elevation also contributes to the sense of urban decline.”