CALDICOT residents have voted in favour of selling off the town school's playing fields to make way for a supermarket after years of debate over the issue.

A local referendum was held in the town on Thursday, with 1,535 residents turning out to vote (20.6 per cent) on the question "Do you approve of Monmouthshire County Council plans for a supermarket in Caldicot to be built on part of Caldicot Comprehensive School fields?"

906 people voted yes, and 624 voted no, meaning Monmouthshire council can push ahead with its plans with the support of the town.

Monmouthshire council is proposing to sell off four acres of Caldicot School's playing fields for a supermarket, and use cash from the sale to fund a rebuild of the school.

But the proposals have faced opposition from the school, Caldicot Town Council and residents.

Those against the proposal say there is a need for a new supermarket in the town, but building one on the school fields could threaten trade in the the town centre.

The plans were suspended in 2009 because of objections from the town council and the school, but Monmouthshire's cabinet announced in February it was reviving the proposals following a change of heart by school governors and some councillors.

Local residents requested a referendum on the issue last month, saying the people of Caldicot should be allowed to have their say.

But following the vote - which is not binding - Monmouthshire council has the backing on the majority of the town’s people.

The council’s cabinet member for modernisation, enterprise and communications, councillor Bob Greenland, said: “I welcome the result of the community poll which clearly demonstrates the majority of local residents favour the county council’s proposals. Let’s now all pull together and get on with the job for the benefit of the town and the school.”

Dave Gale, secretary of Plaid Cymru Caldicot and who was involved in proposing the referendum, said the group's original feeling was they did not want the field to be sold.

But he said they believed the decision was down to the residents in the community and that it was fair they had the opportunity to vote.

"What we wanted to do was to show Monmouthshire council the strength of feeling one way or another because it's been going on for so long. Nobody had a clear idea of where the strength lay."

He said they were "thrilled" with the turnout as the polls were only open for five hours.