The council says the development will stop the town getting left behind

Architects have gone back to the drawing board to try to find an acceptable solution for the 60,000 people who signed a petition against the move.

But while council managers are hopeful it will receive the backing of market traders it has already brought opposition from traders in 15 small shops that would need to be demolished.

Moving the market is part of a multi-million pound plan to extend the town centre to the former cattle mart site by building a department store, multi-screen cinema and a number of new shops.

We now believe we have a scheme that works and we have been pleased by the initial response Mark James, chief executive

The local authority says its latest plan would keep the indoor market in virtually the same position it occupies now.

The clock tower would also stay where it is and a new alleyway of shops would be created from Red Street to Fair Lane.

A series of meetings between council officers, members, developers, market traders, the chamber of trade, town council are now to be held this week.

Carmarthenshire' chief executive Mark James said: "We wanted to try to find a solution that everyone felt they could support. This was not easy.

"However, we now believe we have a scheme that works and we have been pleased by the initial response we have received from everyone so far, including market traders."

Bryn Jones says he will fight the plan 'to the death'.

But Bryn Jones, of Pets Corner in the small row of shops that would be demolished under the revised plan, said he would fight it "to the death".

"There's two lines of shops all the way around which have got to be knocked down.

"These traders are here five or six days a week and are, in my mind, the main stay of the market.

"Are provisions going to be made for them in other sites and what sort of compensation will they have because it will have to be really well planned? I'm not happy at all."

The council's executive board member for regeneration Huw John said every effort would be made to find the traders alternative accommodation before any work took place.

"I know a lot of people are against further development of the town," he said.

"But unless we develop we are going to be left as a backwater and people will move to do their shopping in Swansea, Bridgend and Cardiff."