BAR licensees have given a mixed response to plans to transform Southampton into the south's leading late-night city.

As revealed in the Daily Echo yesterday, consultants suggest pedestrianising most of the High Street for pubs, clubs and round-the-clock coffee shops while restoring the Bargate monument as the heart of the city under a series of controversial ideas to develop the night-time economy.

City centre venues have welcomed the proposals, which also include staggering closing times in the Below Bar area to avoid a mass rush from venues.

But landlords in the suburbs fear the plans could kill off many community pubs.

Southampton Licensed Victuallers' Association secretary Ken Gentles said: "Allowing premises to stay open later in the city centre could be the end for some pubs in parts of Southampton. It would be grossly unfair trading if later licences did not apply generally.

"Community pubs are under all sorts of pressures and we have competition from supermarkets, off-licences and smuggling.

"They are about families, growing up and being taught by elders how to conduct yourself.

"Those peers are lacking from bigger conglomerate bars in the city centre where the peer pressure is something different and seems to be based around violence.

"If a percentage of customers who live in the area are taken away by going into the city centre then many community pubs could die."

Rob Carruthers, assistant manager at Walkabout, High Street, said: "Pedestrianising the high street sounds like a great idea."