A PROPOSAL to demolish the Tented Market was thrown out by councillors last night.

Traders celebrated as plans to demolish the market and turn it into a more modern structure with four restaurants, were unanimously rejected by councillors at a planning committee meeting.

Letters of objection were submitted by some of the stall holders and also by Swindon Civic Voice.

Among the issues raised were the loss of affordable small business premises in the town, the absence of suitable alternative premises for the evicted stall holders to move to, the importance of having a market in the town and again, the need for more restaurants.

Ash Mistry, owner of Eggelicious, said the victory preserved small businesses.

"It wasn't just about keeping the market going, it was about the small businesses that started there, such as my business," he said.

"I would never have been able to start Eggelicious if I hadn't had a space with cheap rent. It's a great idea and that was what was being taken away.

"We are delighted with the outcome."

There was cross-party support for the stallholders with Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors speaking out in favour of the Tented Market.

Vera Tomlinson (Con, St Andrews) said her own beginnings in the business world made her see how important the market is to the community.

“I started my business on a market stall, you start at the bottom and you work your way to the top. That’s the way it works and this is a fantastic opportunity to be able to do that,” she said.

Coun Stan Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) said: “There has always been a market there, that is why it is called Market Street. 

“If you take that away you are taking the character and spirit of Swindon away that everyone has always known. We do not need more restaurants, we need more diversity.”

Planning officials received an initial petition with 1,930 signatures and a second with 346.

A letter in favour of the application was submitted by Forward Swindon which pointed out that it was consistent with the Town Centre Masterplan which identified the Tented Market site as suitable for redeveloping.

The report describes the Tented Market as “very much a dated and poor quality structure” and said replacing it with good quality architecture would be a catalyst for high standards of design elsewhere in the town centre.

Council officers had recommended to the planning committee that the application approve the application to demolish the building but the application was refused on design and policy grounds.