ROYSTON’S Cattle Market may be renovated with a new convenience store and flats built on the site, a move that concerns some residents as well as businesses.

A planning application has been registered with North Herts District Council and a nearby householder is worried about the impact of the proposed building, which would be two stories high.

Guy Snell, of Market Hill, said: “We know something has to be done with this car park as it is in an untidy state but we’re deeply troubled by the proposed development.

“Quite apart from the direct impact on our property of night time noise, loss of light and increased overlooking, our view is Royston as a whole will lose.

“The proposal is dominating, unsympathetic to adjacent heritage buildings, poor quality and generally detrimental to the look and feel of the town centre.

“We think the problem of town centre parking, which is already a significant issue, will be exacerbated by the proposal. We also think a large convenience store might take trade away from the existing market and small shops already struggling to survive in the town centre.”

An Angel Pavement proprietor is worried that a convenience store could lead to the closure of his business.

Neetham Navaneetharan, who runs the Premier Express Angel Mini Market with his wife Sugha, said: “If a big name store opens it’s going to affect all the businesses in the town centre.

“It will affect all the businesses because there is one way in, they will never go anywhere else.

“Already the town centre is struggling for trade. If a big store comes we will be closed within weeks.”

The owner of a High Street store also thinks the new store may cause problems.

Margaret Hayes, of Ladds, said: “I’m not particularly happy about it – it will finish the town completely if that’s what they want.

“If it’s a multi-national supermarket, it will suck the life out of the High Street.”

However the co-owner of Mia Caro, in the High Street, thought that the impact of the development would depend on the type of shop that moved into the site.

Elaine Reynolds, said: “I feel the more shops there are the better for everyone, it just depends on what’s going to be built.”

The applicant, Manhattan Corporation Ltd, was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.