Experts behind the scheme to improve the area between Bridge Street and the Carlsberg brewery said the development would cost "hundreds of millions of pounds".

And while some of the scheme may not be completed for 20 years, it was hinted work on some parts of the plan could start as early as 2010.
The plans were given their public launch at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery last night.

The leader of Northampton Borough Council, Councillor Tony Woods (Lib Dem, St David's), who has thrown his weight behind the proposals, said: "This isn't going to happen immediately, but creating these plans is a significant step forward in redeveloping Northampton.

"The area we're looking at is an important, but somewhat neglected part of the town centre and we want it to be thriving.

"And some of the plans we have here will move on quickly, and if they're successful they will bring some real vitality to the town."
One area tipped for early success is the creation of two new public squares around the new entrance to the Derngate Theatre.

There would also be bars, cafes and restaurants in the area, where it is hoped redevelopment work will start in the next two to five years.
The wider plan would also see a range of new additions to the town centre over the coming years.

The scheme shows the one-way system around the Plough Hotel scrapped, a new hotel built opposite the Morrisons supermarket, new shops along Guildhall Road, an extended museum and a number of housing developments.

The plans have been drawn up by Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council, who own much of the land in the proposed development area, together with the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), which the Government created to push forward Northampton's expansion.

Chief executive of the WNDC, Mike Hayes, said the plans would add a new dimension to Northampton town centre, but warned the more major aspects would take some time to deliver.
He said: "This is an exciting project. It really demonstrates what the town centre can do.
"But don't hold your breath, we're in hard economic times at the moment, so this project is going to be one for the long haul."

Other parts of the plan include opening up County Hall for conferences and weddings and creating specialist shops along Guildhall Road, which would be designed not to compete with the town centre.

A number of current car parks would also be built over and replaced with out-of-town park and ride schemes.

Details of the plans will be put on show at the Guildhall on Thursday, August 28. They will also be discussed by the borough council's cabinet on August 4.