PLANS by New Forest District Council to take over the management of the weekly market at Hythe have come under fire.

Since 1988 Hythe and Dibden Parish Council has liaised with the operators of the popular Tuesday market and the event has been running smoothly under an agreement with the New Forest District Council (NFDC). The parish is paid £7,800 for the service.

The NFDC, in turn, nets more than £70,000 a year from the operators after pitch fees have been collected.

But at a meeting of the district policy and resources committee, Hythe and Dibden Parish clerk Brian Beaven said the parish wished "to object most strongly to the manner in which the district was handling the proposal".

He said there had been no consultation over the proposed change with the parish. This contravened the statement of partnership that the district has with parish councils.

In a statement ready by Mr Beavan said: "It is only courteous to discuss with partners any proposals that may affect them and this should be done before the proposals are placed in the public arena."

He also urged the district to shelve the proposal for at least a year so notice of ending the agreement could be given to allow consultation and assessment of the consequences .

The district's deputy leader Mel Kendal said nothing had been finalised and added that the report was a preliminary one which had come five months before next year's budgets would come into effect.