FOUR companies are preparing final drafts in a bid to redevelop the Locarno and Old Town Hall. Swindon Council, which owns The Planks car park and land at the rear of Old Town Square, and Gael Mackenzie, who owns the Locarno and Town Hall, are awaiting bids from the unnamed development companies, which have to be in by the end of the month.

Peter Campaigne, Swindon Council's development executive, said: "We are jointly marketing the site, but the redevelopment doesn't mean it is all going to be built on.

"We have had expressions of interest from a number of companies a mixture of national and local firms and are expecting draft proposals from four of them by the end of the month."

The development brief involves the refurbishment of the former Town Hall and the Locarno.

The Square may become an attractive public space, and there could be development on both temporary Dammas Lane car park and possibly The Planks long-stay car park.

Mr Campaigne said: "Appropriate provision of public and private car parking will also need to be demonstrated.

"Once the proposals are in there will be an exhibition and full public consultation exercise."

It is understood that Mr Mackenzie wants to keep part of the Victorian Town Hall for personal use.

But the rest of the site will be turned into apartments, retail outlets, a bar and restaurant.

Ed Preece of Whitmarsh Preece Lockhart, the agents acting on behalf of Mr Mackenzie, said: "It is a sensitive scheme and all elements will be considered.

"Old Town is developing very nicely now. These buildings are arguably the most important elements of Old Town and it would be nice to see them brought back to life.

"There are a lot of reasons to be encouraged. By the end of the year we will hopefully be entering the final stage of planning and by the middle of next year we might even see some activity on site."

Mr Mackenzie has been trying for several years to make use of the distinctive Locarno, which was most recently used as a bingo hall.

He did have permission to turn it into a nightclub, but the project floundered when magistrates refused to grant the necessary licence.

Since then he has been working in partnership with the council to come up with a joint scheme for the site.

In March the Advertiser obtained a leaked blueprint of what the development might look like.

It showed how the main Locarno building would be converted into a 220-seat restaurant in the basement and a bar of the ground floor both to be owned by Mr Mackenzie.

An Italian-style piazza area would be created on what is currently The Square car park, providing outdoor seating for the restaurant, which would be surrounded by a complex of apartments.