SWANAGE council chiefs have taken a cautious step forward with plans to introduce a market in the town.

Six years after the idea of a market was first suggested, councillors have backed the principle of holding a market in Victoria Avenue car park for a trial period of one year. But they also agreed that the legal implications of holding a regular market needed further investigation, which will delay the trial.

A "planning for real" exercise undertaken by Swanage Ahead in 1998 surveyed local residents about their views on whether the town centre would benefit from a regular street market.

This revealed a mixture of opinions, with 34 per cent saying a market would benefit the town, 26.9 per cent unsure and 39.1 per cent disagreeing with the statement.

Recently, a working group of three Swanage town councillors was set up to investigate the issue further.

They visited markets at Dorchester and Wimborne and carried out surveys at both locations.

All stallholders surveyed said they would consider trading at Swanage and 72 per cent of shoppers surveyed in Dorchester and Wimborne said they would visit Swanage if it were to hold a market.

The team also visited the Tourist Information Centre in Wimborne, where they are told that market days gave rise to additional numbers of visitors.

The report concludes: "The existence of a market undoubtedly serves as a tourist attraction, giving rise to an increase in visitor numbers on market days.

"According to respondents, it would not appear to be popular or viable to hold a farmers' market independently of an open market. A combined market remains an option for consideration."