A Petersfield special needs nursery is fighting for the future of its home on The Avenue playing fields.

Temporary planning permission for "the cabin", used by the Acorns Nursery and Petersfield Toy Library, expired last month.

Now the groups want that permission extended, and with nowhere else to go they face closure if their plea is refused.

This week Petersfield Town Council, which owns the site, backed the nursery's bid, but admitted its fate lay in the hands of East Hampshire district planners.

Town councillor George Watkinson told a planning committee meeting: "It's on our property, we should say no objection. It is up to EHDC to decide."

He added: "They need it. They have got to find somewhere or they will close down."

But town and district councillor Bob Ayer drew the committee's attention to comments made by the inspector dealing with the last planning appeal on this site.

He said the inspector had allowed that appeal, for a further two year temporary use, to give the groups time to resolve the issue.

Mr Ayer added the town council should review its decision not to charge ground rent on the site, and also questioned the validity of a supporting document that listed current users of the cabin.

The nursery, which caters for children with both physical and learning difficulties, is based at The Avenue Pavilion, and uses the cabin to provide storage and support facilities.

In addition the building is home to the popular toy library, with more than 20 families registered as borrowers, and hosts carer support sessions and training workshops for two childminding groups in the town.

The groups' battle for a new home has now been running for over a decade, and the temporary permission on the cabin has been renewed three times already.

But the last extension, in 2002, was only granted at appeal after district planners refused permission.

The cabin is provided by The Petersfield Society for Special Needs, and last month its chairman, Len Hughes, said the long term solution remained a dedicated Early Years Centre in the town.

"The cabin belongs to The Petersfield Society for Special Needs and we are just one of the many children's organisations which form the Early Years Centre," he said.

The Early Years Centre has been searching for a suitable site in the town for some years but to no avail.

Mr Hughes added: "What is happening now is they are still trying to get that building up and running. Our planning permission on the cabin has expired and we have applied to extend that for two years.

"If we pack up there, there will be so many little organisations homeless it will be untrue. The continuation of services from these little groups is vital."

The final decision will be made by East Hampshire District Council.