SMALL traders in Havelock Street and Morley Street have formed an action group to fight plans to expand the Brunel Centre.

Hamsta Havelock And Morley Street Traders' Association has won the support of the Federation of Small Businesses in its battle to stop the centre's owners, Westfield, from bulldozing nearly 30 of the shops as part of its redevelopment plans.

Westfield announced its £150 million scheme when it lodged the planning appli-cation in May, causing out-rage among the traders.

They fear their livelihoods are under threat and that the multinational Australian firm wants to ride roughshod over them.

The plans were news to the traders when the Adver revealed them in a front page story.

They involve the centre expanding across Havelock Street and into a new 33,000 square metre block, built on what is currently Granville Street car park. It would include 100 new shops, a new department store, cinema and 800-seat food court.

The application is expected to go to the council's plann-ing committee in October.

Kathy McGuire, who owns Havelock News, said: "We've not been given any infor-mation.

"We had a meeting with Westfield about a week after the plans were revealed, but everything we asked them, they passed the buck on to the council.

"When we asked the coun-cil, they shifted it back to Westfield.

"That was at least six weeks ago and we've not heard anything since. We're not getting anywhere."

Kathy's shop is at the hub of Havelock Street and is one of 13 there threatened with demolition. A further 10 would go in Morley Street, along with several units in Regent Street.

Westfield has offered to relocate or compensate the traders, but Kathy is sceptical about both options.

She said: "They are telling us they will relocate us, but they won't tell us where.

"They've told us that they don't want us in their store and I can't think of anywhere else that is available in the town centre."

Westfield development director, John Burton, said: "We've been meeting with some of the individual traders concerned, but we've not met them as a group yet.

"We do still intend to speak to all of them and address each of their concerns.

"There is still time for that before it goes to committee, so there's no rush."