ITV groups Granada and Carlton Communications received the final stamp of approval today for their proposed £4.5 billion merger.

The two groups said the High Court had sanctioned the shareholder schemes of arrangement that will allow the creation of a single company, ITV plc, to go ahead.

The move means shares in the new group will begin trading on the London Stock Exchange on Monday February 2.

Dealings in the ordinary shares of Carlton and Granada are due to end at close of business today.

Shareholders of both firms gave the green light for the tie-up at meetings in London earlier this month.

Granada and Carlton have claimed the tie-up will create one of the leading broadcasters in Europe, enabling increased investment in programmes, greater efficiency and lower costs.

They expect to save £100 million from the merger and have admitted that it will result in redundancies, although they have not specified numbers.

The two groups, which together employ about 8,500 staff, are planning to integrate certain broadcasting activities to improve efficiency and eliminate duplication of operations.

The merger was plunged into controversy after institutional shareholders blocked the appointment of Carlton chairman Michael Green as chairman of the enlarged group.

At the meeting held by Carlton to approve the deal earlier this month, one shareholder described Mr Green's forced departure as ''an utter waste of talent''.

Granada's chairman, Charles Allen, is stepping down from his post to become the chief executive of the new company.

In November, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt gave conditional approval for the deal and later accepted undertakings from the two companies designed to satisfy competition concerns.