A RECOVERY plan for a County Durham town's market has been approved by a local authority.

Chester-le-Street District Council has given the go- ahead for a £600,000 overhaul, that will reduce the number of stalls from 232 to 180.

The extra space will be cleared to form a new Civic Heart and is a key part of the £4m regeneration of the town centre.

Traders will be able sell their goods from new, modern stalls that are being introduced to brighten up the market. Work is expected to start by the end of the year.

Economic development manager George Mansbridge said: "The market is an important element of Chester-le-Street life and for many is synonymous with the town.

"In its heyday, it was one of the largest markets in the North of England, attracting visitors from all over the country.

"Chester-le-Street market was renowned for the sale of fabric, and even now there remains a number who specialise in this trade."

But income from the market has declined by 20 per cent in the past four years.

At the end of the financial year, in 2000, the rent from stallholders was £284,250, but that had fallen to £224,887 by the end of March this year.

Mr Mansbridge said this was partly due to consumer expectations of goods available at the market.

He said that customers were willing to pay a premium for quality, but that markets generally were increasingly being seen as providing low quality.

Mr Mansbridge said that the market also faced tough competition from places such as the Gateshead MetroCentre as well as Newcastle and Sunderland city centres.

He said the fortunes of the market were like a barometer for the commercial success of the town centre as a whole.

He said: "As with all traditional markets, it has been in serious decline over the past ten years and it is important, if it is to have a sustainable future, that action takes place to stabilise the situation."

A detailed action plan about how it is managed is being drawn up and is expected to be ready by the end of May.