A PUB has been forced to remove a tent from Market Place which its owners did not have planning permission for.

The Market Tavern was told to take down its outdoor safari tent by Wiltshire Council on Thursday, May 30.

The Q and R Events tent appeared outside the pub shortly after it reopened under new ownership on Thursday, March 28.

The Chickpea Group, which now runs the pub, was told that planning permission is required for the tent but that it's "unlikely" to get said permission.Salisbury Journal: This tent outside the Market Tavern has been taken down.This tent outside the Market Tavern has been taken down. (Image: Newsquest)

A retrospective planning application will be submitted and Ethan Davids, director of the Chickpea Group, hopes it will be "considered fairly".

He said: "The tent was erected as a temporary structure, and we were given permission by Salisbury City Council in the same way the Ox Row were when we took ownership of the Market Tavern. Planning permission is not required for temporary structures.

"As we now realise how important the structure is for the long term viability of the Market Tavern as a pub, we are now preparing our retrospective planning application to have the tent erected on a long term basis and especially during the winter months, when many of our guests prefer sitting outside."

Mr Davids said it was never the group's intention for the tent to stay during summer.

"With the economic environment changing so rapidly, and pubs becoming increasingly harder to operate profitably, we hope that our planning application will be considered fairly, and with full knowledge that the business is harder to operate without it being there," he added.

Salisbury Journal: Ethan Davids (right) is one of the three directors who founded the Chickpea Group.Ethan Davids (right) is one of the three directors who founded the Chickpea Group. (Image: Ed Schofield)

Councillor Nick Botterill, cabinet member of development management said: “The Chickpea Group, owners of the Market Tavern in Salisbury have been advised that planning permission is required for a structure of this type, but that they are unlikely to get planning permission.

"Following this advice, they submitted a planning application but decided to remove the tent before the application was validated."

Resident Stephen Parsons is glad to see the tent go, "hopefully never to return".

Mr Parsons told the Journal: "It’s so nice to see the eyesore outside the Market Inn gone."

Salisbury City Council refused to comment.