Council seeks to fill retail void

Independent advice may be sought on the retail plans

A way forward is being sought for the regeneration of Dumfries town centre after developers shelved multi-million pound plans for the area.

Centros confirmed last month it would not proceed with plans described by the council as "visionary and exciting".

Now the Dumfries and Galloway authority is considering how it can fill the gap left by the decision.

One option is to get independent advice on the "current and future prospects" of any major retail scheme in the town.

The previous proposals centred on a new road being created between the High Street and the Whitesands.

It was hoped the plans could be underpinned by a large department store.

The council now wants to ensure that property owned by Centros and Loreburn Housing Association in the area is not sold off piecemeal.

It hopes to secure first option to buy the sites.

However, a report to the council planning committee suggests it may remain difficult to take the plan forward.

It says that it will need to establish "the market appetite for how and when and even where this might be taken forward".

It recommends that the council seek independent property advice on the best way forward.