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Prince Charles wrote to the property entrepreneur behind a rival plan for Smithfield market to give his backing, it has emerged.

Eric Reynolds said the heir to the throne had written to him in the summer following the decision by communities secretary Eric Pickles to throw out plans by John McAslan & Partners to redevelop the site for Henderson Global Investors.

Reynolds said the prince, who visited the site at the time of a previous inquiry in 2007 鈥� after which the then communities secretary Hazel Blears rejected KPF鈥檚 plan for total demolition 鈥� offered his congratulations when McAslan鈥檚 plans were kicked into touch.

鈥淗e said he was cheered to see that the right result was achieved,鈥� . 鈥淗e鈥檚 very interested in the market and it鈥檚 very nice to see that over the years he has consistently been in the background solidly cheering us on.鈥�

In July, Pickles said the McAslan proposals would have 鈥渁n extremely harmful effect鈥� on the historic buildings which 鈥渞uns entirely counter to national and policy objectives intended to protect such assets from harm鈥�.

Reynolds, who runs Urban Space Management, put forward an alternative to Henderson鈥檚 plans at February鈥檚 public inquiry into proposals for the Victorian market buildings, alongside separate proposals by developer Cathedral Group, now owned by Development Securities.

Following Pickles鈥� ruling, Henderson said it would keep the site and at the time, Geoff Harris, head of development at TIAA Henderson, said it was 鈥渟urprised and extremely disappointed鈥� and warned: 鈥淭his decision will condemn these disused historic buildings to continued decay and yet further uncertainty.鈥�

To break the impasse, Reynolds said he had recently met Ros Kerslake, chief executive at the Prince鈥檚 Regeneration Trust, which specialises in rescuing historic buildings at the risk of demolition, to see if it could bring Henderson and opponents of its plans together.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been talking to them to try and depoliticise [the situation]. We鈥檙e not against Henderson or McAslan,鈥� Reynolds said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e simply for the buildings.鈥�

Henderson鈥檚 lease on the buildings does not expire until 2020 and also has a 999-year on the basement which it currently rents out to Crossrail.

Pickles also singled out the City of London Corporation, who own the buildings, for criticism.

鈥淭he deteriorated state of the buildings is, at least in part, the result of the history of deliberate neglect and, in assessing the planning balance, less weight should therefore be given to the current condition of the buildings and the consequent benefit of their repair,鈥� he said.

Henderson had six weeks from the date of Pickles鈥� decison, 7 July, but has decided not to appeal.