NEW locations closer to the town centre are being considered by the operators of Minehead's twice weekly summer market in a bid to boost trade for local businesses. Edward Davies Coast Markets Ltd, which has had a presence in the town for more than 25 years, sparked controversy last year when it set up on land off Seaward Way, bringing scant business the way of local shops, pubs and cafes. But this week joint partner Brian Davies revealed that four new potential sites had been "offered" to the company for the 2008 season, which gets underway at the end of May. Crucially, two are within the town - the Irnham Road football club ground and the Hobby Horse Inn on the seafront. Although there is a question mark over the suitability of the football ground and owners Minehead Town Council's support, the Hobby Horse option has won overwhelming support from the Minehead Chamber of Trade - particularly as the alternative sites include a field at Alcombe alongside the main A39 and a site inside Butlins holiday centre. Chamber chairman Graham Sizer, who has been helping to broker the Hobby Horse deal, said it would bring the market closer to the main shopping centre and help entice people to use local businesses. Mr Sizer said he had come up with the idea after getting out a map of the town and desperately trying to find a suitable central location. "This has been a case of thinking outside of the box and although questions have been raised about it being in a conservation area, the need for planning approval and the fact that it is not designated for retail use, I'm just hoping that heads can be banged together. "The market operators are genuinely keen to stay on the side of local traders." Hobby Horse licensee John Richardson said in his view it would be a good location for everyone. "If it brings people into the town then I don's see how it will do any harm," he said. "Last year was a terrible summer and although that was partly due to the weather, having the twice weekly market in Seaward Way did nothing for local traders." Mr Richardson said when the market had been on its historic site near the railway station - currently being redeveloped for a major scheme - market days had meant brisk trade for local shops and businesses. He said the plan would be to use the inn's car parking area at the front, land at the back and the ballroom inside the building for stalls. "I really hope that this will come off," he added. All four potential sites are still under investigation and Mr Davies admitted that the Hobby Horse location would be good for the town. "As far as the football ground is concerned, we appreciate that it is in the middle of a residential area and might not go down too well with people living nearby," said Mr Davies. "If we go inside Butlins it would certainly be an easy location for us on a practical level but it wouldn't help the town's economy much, and if we chose the Alcombe land then we would run buses to and from the site. "The Hobby Horse would present some difficulties because we would have to cut the number of stalls from 80 to less than 40. "We would have to hand pick the traders but we would be prepared to do that for the sake of the town." Mr Davies said he was waiting to hear back from Mr Sizer who had been negotiating with West Somerset Council on parking issues. The council, whose planning committee last year turned down a bid from the market to make the Seaward Way site permanent, this week said it had been working to help find a suitable site. The authority's economic development and tourism portfolio holder Cllr Michael Downes said: "We support the principle of relocating the market to a suitable site closer to the town centre which meets the needs of traders, local businesses and residents and avoids the planning and highways issues associated with last year's site on Seaward Way. "But the market must ensure that people living nearby and the planning authority are satisfied that the site is appropriate."