FURNITURE giant Ikea could make its new home at one of Southampton's prime development sites, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Plans to bring a branch of the popular chain to the city had stalled over planning difficulties. Now planning experts have revealed that the former Pirelli industrial works in West Quay Road would be able accommodate a multi-million-pound development by the store.

Last night the Swedish firm was playing its cards close to its chest but city planning experts are quietly confident they could have found an ideal home for them.

Cities like Southampton are keen to attract an Ikea branch because it would be a huge draw for visitors from around the region.

Situated in the heart of the city and next door to the successful WestQuay shopping centre, the Pirelli site is one of the city's most sought after locations. An Ikea store there would be the first opened by the Swedish company on the south coast. It would make use of 27,000 square metres of prime retail space, but not before 2007.

Ikea, who had planned to open a store on the Millbrook Trading Estate creating 500 jobs before they withdrew an application earlier this year, confirmed that they were looking at a number of sites throughout the city.

At a public inquiry into the city's planning blueprint, representatives for Pirelli recommended that their site should be considered for mixed use retail development.

Asked by government planning inspector Christina Downes whether he thought the site would be suitable for Ikea, consultant town planner Peter Wilks, said: "In theory it could fit on that site, whether they deem that to be a suitable location remains to be seen.

"Under Ikea's normal requirements they would have to show flexibility. Certainly if you were to have Ikea that would take up a large proportion of the space."

At the inquiry yesterday Pirelli representatives argued that the best use for their site would be a large food store development to stop an annual £83.7m being leaked from the city centre to the large district shopping stores.

Council representative Simon Bird said that the site would best be developed for non-food retail.

He said: "To suggest that this site should be used only for shopping is unrealistic. There is no need."

Ikea spokesman Helen Squire said the company was currently looking at various sites in Southampton.

"We are still looking for site opportunities in that area but we have no plans at present. We cannot say whether it (Pirelli) would be a site that Ikea would consider."

Planning inspector Downes will complete her amendments to the city plan next year and city chiefs are expected to adopt the revised plan by the end of 2004.