KENNET District Council is stepping up its efforts to develop Devizes' Wharf and the North Gate site, following the news that the town is no longer the first choice for the Wiltshire Records Office.

Council leader Jerry Willmott told a meeting of the Devizes Community Area Forum on Monday that, although it now looks highly unlikely the prestigious development will come to Devizes, things did not look too bleak for the town.

Ron Crook, Kennet's director of community services, told the meeting that details of the new plan to redevelop the North Gate, the area around the former cattle market in New Park Street, will be published in the next three to four weeks.

Mr Crook said the original plan for North Gate did not go ahead because agreement couldn't be reached with commercial partner, Heritage Property Services. It had nothing to do with the records office bid for the Wharf.

He said a new planning brief for the area was now being prepared for the public consultation.

The consultation should finish by the first week in June, after which detailed planning applications would be prepared.

He said: "We are looking to make very rapid progress indeed."

But, he added, the Wharf site presented more difficulties.

Discussions were continuing with the Regional Development Agency on the purchase of the former gasworks site from Lattice Holdings, British Gas's property section.

Mr Willmott said the council had made great sacrifices to fall in with the county council's proposal to site the new heritage centre, incorporating the records office and the Royal Photographic Society's collection, at the Wharf.

"As a result, our plans for the North Gate and the Wharf were frustrated," he said. "I hope wherever the new record office goes it goes there quickly so we can keep the county archives in Wiltshire."

If a new building is not agreed, the county archives will have to be moved to London.

Mr Willmott agreed with Devizes councillor Margaret Taylor that the loss of the records office did not reflect on Devizes people or their efforts to win the project for the town.

He said: "I have never seen any lack of support from Devizes people.

"Their arguments for having the scheme in the town have been articulate and justified. The arguments for the other areas have not been as strong."

Coun Mervyn Woods, from Etchilhampton, asked if there were any policies which led to Devizes losing out on projects.

He said: "We seem destined to lose our magistrates court. Are we always to be treated as too small to have our own facilities?"