A RADICAL £80m demolition and redevelopment programme has been proposed for one of the region's town centres.

As part of the plans, consultants have advised Stockton Borough Council to demolish some of the town's most prominent buildings.

The entire town would then be transformed to "reconnect" it to the river, where a new bridge and leisure, retail developments are already due to be created.

Consultants Drivers Jonas has also recommended that two new bus stations be built on either side of a pedestrianised High Street, a public square be created and the once-famous Stockton market be revitalised.

The Swallow Hotel, which dominates the southern end of the town centre, would be bulldozed along with a car park and part of the indoor Castlegate Shopping Centre. A bus station would be built in the area, with a public square and car park as part of a "gateway" to the town.

At the northern side of the High Street, it is hoped to improve connections with the multi-million pound Northbank business, retail and housing scheme due to be developed this year.

The market would still be held around the historic Town Hall and indoor market Shambles buildings. However, it hoped that generous space would be given to hostelries and cafes and an elevated walk would be created from Dovecot Street to the bridge, which has already been planned.

On the riverside behind the town centre, it is hoped a four- star hotel would be built by a "riverside village", which would include housing and restaurants.

No definite figures have been released by the council on the cost of the ten-year project.

However it is expected that about £20m of public money would be needed from Government agencies, including regional development agency One NorthEast. It is hoped that about £60m would then be brought in from the private sector.

Making the announcement at Stockton's Arc theatre yesterday, Tim Claxton, assistant partner of Drivers Jonas, said: "We have consulted with the public and they were concerned about the decline of the market, decline of retail outlets, the problem of too many buses and wanted more use of the riverside. They are the same issues we want to address."

Peter Bech, operations manager for Swallow Hotels, said he had not been made aware of any plan to demolish the hotel which was downgraded from a four-star to a three-star hotel last year.

John Clift, Castlegate Shopping Centre manager, said he would be happy to talk with consultants.