PARTS of Eastleigh town centre are facing the bulldozers as civic chiefs plan to beef up shopping attractions in the face of competition from developments such as Southamp-ton's multi-million-pound West-Quay.

The idea is to promote redevelopment aimed at attracting High Street giants and specialist retailers to the town, and to provide leisure and cultural facilities.

Last night, a special meeting of Eastleigh Council agreed a draft local plan review which will eventually provide a blueprint for development throughout the borough for the next decade.

And the wraps were taken off a scheme of initiatives for Eastleigh town centre, planned to underpin the success of the Swan Centre redevelopment of the late 1980s.

Councillors were told a new strategy was being prepared for the town - which currently houses around 180 shops - to attract more people and more activity while boosting the "vibrancy and identity" of the centre.

Already, one set of potential development sites has been identified. It includes:

l Expanding the core retail area by extending the Swan Centre on to the car park next to the Tesco store to create a large retail unit at ground-floor level with upper floors to be used for a multiplex cinema or other leisure, retail or office uses, and roof-top car parking.

l Levelling and redeveloping a huge block to the north of Wells Place between High Street and Market Street with buildings at least three stories high to provide ground-floor shops for national multiple retailers together with a new urban square opposite the eastern entrance to the Swan Centre.

l Earmarking part of the Leigh Road frontage to the town's recreation ground as an "ideal location" for leisure and cultural facilities such as restaurants, street cafes, bars and art galleries/studios.

l Designating the Romsey Road frontage to the rec for office or residential redevelopment.

l Calling for the long-term redevelopment of the area east of Upper Market Street for predominantly office or mixed office and leisure use - as part of a comprehensive development brief.

Further retail development in small town, district, village, local centres and neighbourhood parades throughout the borough has not been ruled out. But the council wants to put up the shutters on major out-of-town retail and leisure schemes. Amusement centres also face rigorous new policies.

A new district centre for the proposed Allington major development area of at least 3,000 homes at south Bishopstoke and Fair Oak, is planned.

Council leader Keith House said: "This is a consultation plan - we want people's views."