NEW Forest councillors have bowed to people power and rejected controversial plans to build a new shopping facility in Ringwood town centre.

The proposal for a new shopping development as well as a 300-seat theatre-style building, a new public square plus a new taxi and bus interchange at the Furlong Car Park was dropped by cabinet members at a meeting of the New Forest District Council yesterday.

In choosing to preserve the status quo of the historic market town, Cllr Mel Kendal, chairman of the council, recommended option four, the replacement of the existing toilet block and visitor information centre for further progression.

He said with the future of internet shopping growing and more youngsters downloading films on the web rather than going to the cinema, he was unsure of these proposals as an investment for the town.

And Cllr Chris Treleaven, planning portfolio holder and chairman of the Ringwood Steering Group, which had recommended option one for a mixture of shops, supported Cllr Kendal's decision, saying he had second thoughts in the face of increasing public division over the development.

He said potential cuts to the council's government grant plus a general pessimism over the state of the economy with a lack of liquidity in the commercial property market contributed to his decision, adding: "It's a great idea but just not now."

New Forest District Council's representative for Ringwood, Cllr Michael Thierry, called for the plan to be completely rejected saying he could not recall another local issue which had "engendered such local opinion and outrage".

He said: "Unless option one is killed once and for all there is nothing to stop the council from going back to the plans on March 15 or June 15."

But Cllr Kendal responded to the claims saying the council would be foolhardy to bring option one back. He added: "We will only do what we believe the majority of people in Ringwood want us to."