Private security firms are to be used to police city centre streets in Preston that come under the Tithebarn Regeneration Area.

Ancient rights of way through the area also look set to be scrapped which could mean private firms will have the power to control who can, and cannot, enter the area.

It comes after developers, Grosvenor, was granted a 250-year lease over 30 acres of the city centre, effectively making the land private property.

City centre ward Councillor Michael Lavalette said ordinary Prestonians could be barred from the area and were having their city taken away.

Human rights group, Liberty, and the Open Spaces Society (OSS) have also spoken out against the plans.

Last week city council chiefs and Grosvenor signed a £450m agreement to develop the area of the city centre bounded by Ringway, Friargate, Cheapside, and Church Street.

The plan involves demolishing the bus station and other historic areas of the city to make way for new streets, shops, cafes, restaurants and housing.

Coun Lavalette, who has long been opposed to the Tithebarn project and re-locating the bus station, said: "It's about taking our city away from us.

"It is being sold to us as beneficial for everybody in Preston, but they are just giving our city away.

"We should not be selling our heritage."

Coun Lavalette said most people in Preston would not be able to afford to shop in the "top notch shops" in the Tithebarn area anyway.

"People will be told 'you can't come in, you can't go through' -- anybody they don't like the look of or who might bring the tone down," he added.

Donald Lee, executive committee member of OSS, said the council should be thinking objectively about the rights of the public.

"We don't agree with this of course, it means in effect that they can choose who goes and where they go in their development."

Gareth Crossman, director of policy at Liberty, said the organisation took issue with the privatisation of city centre land and policing by private firms.

He added: "In all likelihood it would affect young people, people who might want to hand out leaflets, homeless people, the people who are not going to be spending money in the area."

He said he would be speaking to Liberty'slegal director to see if a legal challenge could be mounted.

Discussions between Grosvenor and the city council have been going on since 1998, but came to a head in May this year when the City Centre Working Group of nine senior councillors was given the power to negociate with the developers behind closed doors.

The principles of the agreement, signed last week, are contained within a confidential 500-page document, and could leave the city open to other radical moves.

Mike Brogan, assistant director of city projects, said discussions were still at an early stage but admitted that it is likely that there would be powers to remove people causing a nuisance or anti-social behaviour.

He added: "In all probability, this would be enforced through arrangements with the police, street wardens as well as private security but details have yet to be agreed."

A spokesman for Grosvenor said there was nothing to add to what Mr Brogan had said.