THIRTEEN developers have thrown their hats into the ring to provide Eastleigh town centre with a multiplex cinema and leisure facilities package.

As exclusively revealed by the Daily Echo, civic chiefs took the bold step of going out to the market in a bid to resurrect the dream of providing the town with a landmark leisure development.

More than three years ago planning permission was granted for an 11-screen multiplex as part of the town's showpiece Swan covered shopping centre.

The plan for a 2,200-seat state-of-the-art facility included building over the existing car park alongside Tesco's at first floor level.

The Wells Place scheme remained a paper dream but earlier this month the council revealed it was working in partnership with Prudential - the leaseholders of the Swan Centre - to get a development partner to provide a landmark building on the 1.85-acre site.

Now, the council says "expressions of interest" have been received from 13 companies following the promotion of new leisure opportunities.

Working with Prudential, the council will now be looking at the applications in more detail and says it is hoped that a shortlist of preferred developers will be selected during June. The short-listed companies will then be invited to develop their proposals in more detail.

Council leader Keith House told the Daily Echo that at this stage he was unable to reveal names of the companies or details of the leisure schemes they were proposing. He said: "At this stage everything is commercially confidential. It is not in the interest of the council or the town to be revealing names. We want to look at this calmly, carefully and make sure we can get something that will work."

He added: "We have been encouraged at the level of interest in this important development for the town. This supports our view that Eastleigh is an excellent location for a multiplex cinema and other leisure attractions.

"It really does show that the leisure industry is alive to investing in Eastleigh and making Eastleigh a place to be."

Cllr House said extending the town's leisure and entertainment opportunities for both residents and visitors was one of the council's highest priorities and added: "This is a positive step towards achieving that priority."