DEVIZES Chamber of Commerce fears too many new shops on the proposed North Gate site would draw business away from the main shopping area of The Brittox and Maryport Street.

Kennet District Council wants to begin redeveloping the area between Snuff Street and New Park Street, and a development plan was put on show last week at the Corn Exchange.

The area is mapped out for a mix of retail, office and residential development. The council wants to fill 1,000 square metres of retail floor space, but traders are concerned too many new shops, particularly national chains, will draw business away from existing businesses.

The chamber wants retail development to be limited to the redeveloped One Stop site, formerly the Co-op in the Market Place.

The council says any development of the North Gate has to be seen in the context of a strategy for the whole town.

In a consultation leaflet it says: "Although the North Gate proposals provide for new retail services, the council recognises that the best place to focus on shopping improvements are the West Central and Central car parks.

"These sites are complex and costly to assemble and comprehensive development schemes are not within the district council's power to deliver at this time."

Jo Edwards, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, said she agreed with this and wondered why all the possible development sites could not be investigated at the same time.

She said: "We would prefer to see development in a tight ball rather than a long string. People don't like to walk, so the council should concentrate on developing retail close to existing shops, preferably in the West Central car park."

But Mrs Edwards agreed the North Gate is in need of redevelopment.

She said: "It is the first thing visitors see when they come to the town and it is a mess.

"We see it is important to develop it quickly but it has to be done in the right way."

The North Gate development brief includes car parking for 30 to 40 cars, but town trader Alex Duffey, vice chairman of the Wessex branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, says Kennet is putting the cart before the horse.

He said: "They should be developing the West Central car park first.

"I feel the North Gate site would be better used for parking. If that site is developed first, where are they going to put the parking spaces that are going to be lost from the West Central car park?"

A Kennet District Council spokesman confirmed that 160 people visited the exhibition in the Wessex Room of the Corn Exchange on Tuesday July 2.

Sixteen people attended the workshop discussions organised by consultants Lyons, Sleeman and Hoare which drew up the development brief.

She said: "Those that came asked a lot of very pertinent questions and the areas of discussion were wide and varied.

"It was a very valuable event and the last person left at 9.30pm."

The closing date for consultation replies is tomorrow.

Kennet councillors are due to discuss the scheme at a meeting in September. If it is agreed the scheme should go ahead, officers will invite tenders from interested developers.