COUNCIL chiefs have approved a controversial plan that has split opinions in a New Forest town.

The Wednesday street market at Station Road, New Milton, will be allowed to continue - even though almost half the shopkeepers want it to close.

Bargain-hunters have been flocking to the market since it was first held in April last year.

Many town centre businesses say they have benefited from the weekly influx of shoppers, but others claim the 30 stallholders are taking their trade.

The future of the market was debated at this week's meeting of the district council's general purposes and licensing committee.

Members were told that 46 per cent of Station Road businesses wanted the market to close.

However, a proposal to make it permanent was approved on the grounds that a greater number of traders wanted the event to continue.

A report to councillors cited the results of a survey carried out in December.

It said: "The evaluation showed that virtually all the market users and traders wished the market to continue in at least some form.

"Some 53.3 per cent of businesses supported some form of continuation and 46.7 per cent did not.

"Given the overwhelming support from users and traders, and the support received from more than 50 per cent of businesses, there seems no good reason why the council should not take the steps necessary to enable the market to continue."

The market was praised by Lio Balland, who was chairman of New Milton Chamber of Commerce until it folded earlier this month through lack of support.

He said: "The market is bringing trade to New Milton.

"When businesses are not doing well they tend to blame something else instead of changing what they do.

"Some shops are still closing at 1pm on Wednesdays. That sort of thing went out 20 years ago."