PLANS to demolish a famous market, replacing it with modern buildings and a hotel have been turned down.

Critics at a planning meeting compared the proposals for Greenwich Market to Greenhithe’s Bluewater shopping centre and said it was destroying the area’s history.

Site owner Greenwich Hospital wanted to knock down the 1950s buildings, replacing them with a covered area, shops and a hotel at King William Walk.

But no members of Greenwich Council’s planning board supported the plans at a packed meeting in Woolwich Town Hall yesterday (Aug 27).

Concerns had been raised by some groups, including the International Council on Monuments and Sites conservation association, that the development could take away the market’s character and turn it into a shopping mall.

At the meeting other concerns were raised about the building’s height, traffic congestion from the hotel and whether businesses currently on the site would be able to keep going at the new development.

Trader Joff Summerfield told the meeting parts of the plans were “something I’d happily see in Bluewater or Lakeside”.

He said: “These are wonderful old buildings along with the roof and you just want to flatten them.

“It seems appalling to most people that you’re going to destroy this history.”

Community group the Greenwich Society and director of the south east London chamber of commerce, Steve Nelson, gave the plans their backing.

Mr Nelson said: “From a business point of view I think a quality hotel is vital to Greenwich.”

But voting against the plans, deputy leader Councillor Peter Brooks said: “What I don’t want to see is some of our important buildings just disappearing overnight.”

Greenwich Hospital director Martin Sands said afterwards: "We are all very disappointed that after three years of planning and support from many local stakeholders that the members of the planning board last night were unable to support the Market regeneration plans."

He added: "Greenwich Hospital has worked closely on developing these plans with the local stakeholders.

"That working relationship will continue, and the Hospital will now meet with professional advisers to assess the next step."