Plans to transform a disused building into a bustling market have been approved by Greenwich Council.

Street Feast applied to turn the Plumstead Road Covered Market from a derelict site into a place to eat and drink.

The building would have otherwise remained empty for up to two years while redevelopment plans for the Spray Street Quarter rumble into action.

At a meeting of the council licensing committee last night (February 6), plans were approved despite some objections to the opening hours by police and Greenwich environmental health officers.

Street Feast owner Jonathan Downey had threatened to pull out of plans altogether if local police got their way and opening hours were limited to 9pm Sunday to Thursday and 10pm Friday and Saturday.

He had written on Twitter that Woolwich could “have your empty building back” if it couldn’t be open Monday to Sunday until 11pm.

However the plans were approved with Street Feast’s desired opening hours and will officially open March 1.

After the decision was announced, Mr Downey wrote on Twitter: “Our licence for Woolwich Public Market has been approved. Thank you to everyone who supported us.

“We’ll see you all at our opening weekend. Which is, yikes, just over three weeks away. We had better get a move on and build it.”