THIS is the stunning new look for the heart of Southampton as the battle for South's shoppers hots up.

The Marlands Shopping Centre is to under-go the facelift as it prepares for the opening of the £270 million rival West Quay development next year.

City planners are being recommended to approve the radical scheme that aims to keep the centre alive with the opening of the new mall next autumn.

Two giant pictures standing either side of a new-style entrance at Above Bar Street are the project's main features.

The clock tower will be demolished and replaced with a massive steel grid with Marlands Shopping displayed in illuminated letters at right angles to the street and visible from West Quay.

Inside the centre, stainless steel cladding will replace the marble surrounds to the lifts, the toilets will be completely refurbished and a second mother and baby room will be created. The proposals, to be discussed at Tuesday's planning committee, come in the wake of big-name stores abandoning Above Bar for West Quay.

Marlands owners Heron Property Corporation have earmarked about £250,000 to secure its long-term future, although the cost of the plans are still out to tender.

Centre manager Brandon Surtees admitted that retailers fearing the worst from the huge new mall just 100 yards away had put some pressure on the owners to improve its image.

But he said the work had been under discussion since 1997 and it was essential to West Quay's existence as well as the Marlands.

"Southampton should be the regional capital and the building of West Quay is a very positive step towards that," he said.

"But it means that there will be major changes in the way the city centre operates and the circulation of shoppers, who we have to make sure use both centres.

"We get seven million customers a year in the Marlands and our proposals for a radical revamp will fit in with the changes to the city centre."

A spokeswoman for West Quay said it did not want to put its neighbour out of business.

"It's simply marvellous that the Marlands is having a revamp.

"Together with the new West Quay shopping centre, it will be good news for all shoppers, making Southampton a wonderful place to visit," she said.

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