PLANS to demolish the Romsey Carpets' shop in the town's Newton Lane car park have been overwhelmingly rejected.

Before they turned it down, by 16 votes to nil, members of Test Valley Borough Council's Southern area planning committee were faced with a raft of objections.

Romsey and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry protested on the grounds that it would have meant the loss of an historic building in a prominent position in the town and yet another loss of a retail unit.

The Town Council also took issue with the loss of an attractive building and the Romsey and District Society pointed out: "It represents one of the last of the old stable blocks - probably Victorian or older."

And one of eight letters from residents commented: "The old cow stalls were an integral part of the old livestock market that used to take place on that piece of land. There are very few remaining buildings in the conservation area which record this aspect of Romsey's history."

There were references to a need for repairs to the one-and-a-half storey building, but one objector commented: "If we allow buildings to be knocked down just because they need a bit of repair we will end up with nothing in the conservation area worth conserving."

The council's own planning and design and conservation officers opposed the demolition, too, and an officers' report summed up: "There is no visual or structural justification for the demolition of this attractive building in a conservation area and therefore it is considered that the conversion, rather than the demolition, of the building would be more appropriate."

Earlier, councillors heard that an application - also by Pickwick Developments Limited - to replace the shop with a terrace of four two-bedroom houses had been withdrawn.