PEOPLE power has persuaded planning councillors to reject a bid to convert an empty shop in Bulford into residential use.

A petition signed by more than 400 people, and strong objections lodged by members of Bulford parish council, convinced members of Salisbury district council's northern area committee last week to refuse permission for alterations and extensions at Meadow Stores, in Meadow Road.

The parish council told the committee that the loss of "this commercial facility degrades the life and environment of the village".

Two commercial facilities have already been lost in recent years, said the council, and both had been "felt severely".

A petition with 411 signatures pointed out that four different businesses had applied to take over the empty shop but all the applications had been rejected.

Meadow Stores ceased trading as a grocery store in November 2001 and a subsequent furniture shop stopped trading in November 2002. There has been no trading from the shop since.

The applicant sought to alter and extend a garage and store to form a one-bedroom dwelling and the committee heard an application to convert Meadow Stores into two residential flats had also been submitted.

The committee was told that a marketing exercise carried out by a Salisbury estate agents had found a "low level of interest", with only specialist businesses expressing any interest, but it was felt they would be in conflict with neighbouring businesses.

Although planning officers had recommended approval for the conversion, councillors voted to refuse permission, saying the shop was important to the economic viability of Bulford and in their view not enough marketing research had been done.