COUNCIL chiefs have scrapped plans to build a major new link road that would have reduced the size of a busy market.

The road was due to have cut through a Hythe car park that hosts the village's Tuesday market, one of the area's main attractions. However, Hampshire County Council has ditched the proposal after ruling that a new highway was no longer needed.

A New Forest District Council spokesman confirmed that the market would have been constricted in size if the scheme had gone ahead.

Hythe and Dibden county councillor Brian Dash said: "The link road would have significantly reduced the amount of space available for the market as well as cutting car parking capacity."

The road would have connected New Street and St John's Street. The decision to axe the project has cleared the way for a £200,000 revamp of the car park and part of St John's Street.

Members of the district council's planning committee approved an application to retain the parking area and proceed with the improvements, despite objections to the scheme.

In future all drivers using the car park will have to enter via St John's Street and leave via New Road.

Five letters of objection were received from residents who feared that new access arrangements would increase the risk of accidents. However, the committee voted to approve the scheme in the wake of the county council's decision to scrap the link road.

A county council spokesman said: "The road was aimed at accommodating the increased levels of traffic that were expected to arise from a new housing development in Shore Road, but the increase did not come about."