THE shape of Devizes Market Place could be changed around for the first time since its creation in the 11th century.

Consultants hired by Kennet District Council plan to replace the One Stop shop building with a new one that extends 60ft out into the road and remove all car parking from the Market Square as part of a plan to regenerate the town centre.

Extending the One Shop building, which has long been scheduled for redevelopment by Kennet, would section off the Market Square and would result in the bus island being lost.

In their draft proposals which will be presented to the public tomorrow the consultant, Gillespies, talks about redefining key public spaces and reducing car parking spaces in the Market Place.

"Parking will need to be relocated if spaces such as the Market Place are to be returned to their former glory showcasing the magnificent collection of buildings to their best," Gillespies says.

The proposed removal of car parking and introduction of new paving, lighting and signs by Gillespies comes two years after a major re-organisation of the Market Place took place, amid some controversy. The changes resulted in 57 car parking spaces being lost as taxis and other vehicles were banned from using the inner road round the Market Square but 14 spaces were reinstated 18 months ago.

New lighting and paving were also installed in the Market Place by Wiltshire county, Kennet district and Devizes town councils.

The Market Place is one of several key sites in the town centre that Gillespies have drawn up draft proposals for and which will be on display to the public tomorrow at the Corn Exchange from 1pm to 6pm.

Gillespies, has been appointed by Kennet District Council to draw up a blue print to regenerate the town centre. Funding for the project has come from the South West Regional Development Agency and it is a follow up to Devizes being chosen as one of the towns in the Government's Market and Coastal Towns Initiative.

Other proposals by Gillespies are to build shops on part of the West Central car park, plus major retail development at the back of the Tesco store plus building houses on part of Station Road car park.

Alder King has been appointed to contact major retailers to see if they want to open premises in Devizes.

Tomorrow morning groups and organisations have been invited to attend a closed workshop to comment on the proposals and an exhibition will be open to the public in the afternoon.

Brad Fleet, director of community services at Kennet, said: "The exhibition tomorrow is for people to tell us what they think of the consultant's proposals. These are draft proposals and they are not cast in tablets of stone. Gillespies have reviewed key sites in the town centre and come up with options for retail revival."

Jeff Ody, chairman of The Trust for Devizes, said he was appalled at the prospect of the One Stop shop building being extended outwards. Extending an individual building out of line with the other buildings would be catastrophic and irresponsible, he said.

"Having gone through the trauma of redesigning the Market Place over the last two years the proposal to pull it up by its roots and change it all would be heartbreaking as it seems to be a good working design. The use of the Tesco and West Central car parks for retail uses would I think be generally applauded by retailers."