THE Charter Walk shopping centre in Burnley is to undergo a major revamp — doubling the size of many stores.

The refurbishment and redevelopment of the Market Square area of Charter Walk is set to start next year.

Council bosses welcomed the move and said the work, along with the planned development of the Oval shopping centre, would strengthen the retail offer in Burnley town centre and attract visitors from further afield.

The Chamber of Trade said it was a show of faith in the town by the new owners of the centre.

The development would involve the removal of the existing external first floor walkways and staircases to create double-height units ranging in size from 5,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft each.

The square itself will also be redeveloped to improve landscaping and the existing cafe building will be removed and replaced with a new glazed cafe pod structure.

It has been designed to improve the time spent in the centre by shoppers and the views across the square.

The Burnley centre is now owned by property investment and asset management company Addington Capital.

The firm took over when previous owners Sapphire went into administration in December.

Now bosses at the London-based firm want to bring the centre into line with ‘modern expectations’.

Alex Wagstaff, a partner at Addington Capital, said: “Charter Walk attracts over nine million customers a year and has a great mix of retailers.

"But some existing units are too small for the modern- day retailer, and we aim to create the space required to satisfy current retailer demand.

“Our proposals also include a full refurbishment of the Market Square area to bring the centre in line with modern expectations.

“We plan to submit a planning application in due course with the intention of undertaking the work next year to deliver the new units in time for Christmas 2012 trading.”

Steve Rumbelow, chief executive of Burnley Council, said: “We welcome any plans for the centre.

"We are working with the owners on two levels, on improving the shopping offer that Burnley has and then as the landlord of the building they have to work with us on these proposals.

“Charter Walk trades well and is still fit for purpose, but clearly it is starting to show its age and this will improve the shopping centre.”

A brand-new £40million shopping centre, known as the Oval, is also set to be built in Curzon Street, with work due to start next year.

Mr Rumbelow: “It will be wholly complementary to the Oval plans and improve the quality of the shopping experience in the town.

"That will bring residents into the town and will also attract visitors from further afield.”

It is believed that the Charter Walk development will be carried out in phases, with the first phase covering the side of Market Square that houses WHSmith, River Island and Superdrug, who all have leases expiring next year.

Brian Hobbs, chairman of the town’s Chamber of Trade, said: “I think it is really good news.

"It shows a lot of faith in the future of the shopping centre by the new owners.

It will modernise it and bring it more into line with other competing shopping centres nearby and it provides the size of units that tenants want.

“If you can do all of those three things in one redevelopment then it is a good thing.

“I think the initial plans are to meet with the tenants in there at the moment.

"Some of them have been asking for bigger units, but of course the more attractive it gets the more attractive it becomes to bigger stores.”