Beauty salon owners have hit out at councillors after being refused permission to expand their business to include an up-market cafe.

More than 500 shoppers signed a petition backing the scheme. Abingdon Town Council recommended approval and during a tour of the town MP Evan Harris described it as a 'wonderful idea'.

Partners Kevin Martin and Tracey Berry, who run Top Front Health and Beauty in Bath Street, Abingdon, believe the Vale of White Horse District Council is missing an opportunity to revitalise the town centre. The refusal made the pair so angry that they considered leaving the town. Mr Martin said: "If we could afford to relocate, we would. The council is being perverse and I think it has made a big mistake.

"There are 16 empty units in town. How many more will there be if it keeps turning away opportunities?"

The partners planned to convert an empty shop below the salon, formerly Milward's shoe shop, to create Top Cafe, but the council said the move would "harm the retail vitality of this part of the town". But Mr Martin said: "I don't see how we could harm retail vitality by having a busy, vibrant cafe in the town centre. An empty shop is more harmful." The partners say Top Cafe, which would feature a string quartet playing live music on Saturdays, would take Abingdon up-market.

Mr Martin said: "The town has no stylish cafe where professional people can have lunch and entertain clients."

Cllr Jerry Patterson, chairman of the planning committee, said the council had acted to protect market towns. He added: "If this application is repeated, the retail nature of this town will change and shopping opportunities would be reduced.

'Abingdon is not big enough to support the kind of developments seen in Oxford's George Street, for example."

The partners are appealing against the decision.

Story date: Tuesday 30 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.