HUNDREDS of homes, new shops and restaurants would be built under a new 'masterplan' to transform Hounslow town centre.
Detailed proposals for the regeneration of the High Street and surrounding roads were this week published by the council.
Under the plans, drawn up by consultants BDP, 800 homes and 30,000sqm of new shop floor space would be created over the next 15 years.
The town centre would be split into three sections: a 'western gateway', dominated by businesses; an 'eastern gateway', catering for the needs of local residents; and a 'central heart', with shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
Although a number of such plans for the town centre have been created in recent years, this is by far the most detailed.
It sets out basic proposals for key sites, including the car park opposite ASDA, ageing shops and flats at the east end of the High Street, and the old Safeway building to the west.
These will be used as guidelines when considering future planning applications from developers.
Deputy council leader Ruth Cadbury said: "We want to raise Hounslow's profile. We want to improve the perception of the town centre and we want it to become the centre of the borough. If there is only one thing in the borough it will be there.
"We want people to come to shop, to spend leisure time and to hang out. We want to see more jobs and to make sure it is easy to get to.
"I'm really excited about this after 18 months work to make Hounslow a place people are happy to come to."
The 'masterplan', created following months of public consultation, recommends the creation of public squares outside Holy Trinity Church and at the eastern end of the High Street.
It also suggests 'de-cluttering' the High Street by removing and reorganising street furniture, improving street lighting, fully pedestrianising the entire street and creating cycle lanes and a figure-of-eight walkway linking the Treaty and Blenheim shopping centres.
