SHOPPERS in Witney could soon be browsing around two floors of new shops if planners approve a proposal to expand the town's Woolgate Centre.

But developers behind the controversial Marriotts Close redevelopment nearby have been told to go back to the drawing board until public concerns are addressed.

West Oxfordshire district councillors will ask Lincoln-based Simons Developments to revise its Marriotts Close proposals - for 13 shops, 185 homes, a cinema, five-storey car park and public open space off Welch Way - before it makes a decision on the outline planning application.

Meanwhile Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which owns the Woolgate complex, has submitted a planning application to the district council for a two-storey extension, pictured.

It wants to demolish part of the centre, which houses interiors store Cargo, to make way for a new building for the extra shops.

Part of the car park will also be taken up with the development.

The announcement follows a council meeting last Thursday about the controversial Marriotts Close development.

Councillors deferred a decision on the application, and told Lincoln- based developers Simons Developments to revise its plans to address public concerns.

During the meeting, WODC's planning officer, Phil Shaw, also outlined the results of a public consultation, which included fears about the scale of the development, the loss of trees, parking problems, increased risk of traffic, and vandalism.

He recommended councillors ask developers to amend several aspects of the application before they make their final decision.

Mr Shaw said: "Our concern is the scale of the building is excessively large for the location. It needs to be looked at in detail to get a better balance. There needs to be more information provided about why the developers cannot provide affordable housing."

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