FRESH thinking is needed over plans for Hounslow town centre following a raft of high street closures, business leaders have warned.

HMV and Jessops, both of which have branches in Hounslow, became the latest high street chains to go into administration last week.

Analysts have largely blamed their demise on the growth of online shopping, and a report by the London Assembly last week urged councils to be more imaginative when designing town centres of the future.

Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, which has been at loggerheads with the council over its plans to regenerate Hounslow town centre, this week said it was important to learn from recent high street closures.

"The face of British retail has changed remarkably over recent years and will continue to change. For our borough high streets the urgency is to respond to that change," said the group's chief executive Stephen Fry.

"The chamber recommends Hounslow High Street needs a mixed strategy of retail, leisure (to promote an evening and night time economy and thereby create Hounslow as a 'destination') and residential. Town centres are places for people to relax, shop and live."

Hounslow Council is due to invite bids this spring to redevelop the car park site between Hounslow High Street and the 24-hour ASDA.

Its town centre 'master plan', published last year, recommended 14,000sqm of new shops at the site, which would also include restaurants and leisure space, but just 40 new homes.

The chamber, which represents businesses across the borough, has repeatedly argued there should be a greater proportion of housing and leisure space at the site. It wants the council to focus on revitalising existing retail space in the high street itself.

Councillor Ruth Cadbury, Hounslow's cabinet member for planning and regeneration, said: "Hounslow's not your typical town centre. The potential to succeed as a retail centre is very, very high, due to its excellent transport links, large population and the fact there are no major competing town centres nearby.

"Our latest retail study still shows a lot of potential demand for additional retail space, particularly for larger units."

She added that the council would continue to listen to the views of the chamber, along with other groups and residents, as it prepares its outline planning specification for the car park site.