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Retailers are to seek an early meeting with Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) to find out more about its development plans for the Broadmarsh Centre.

CSC said last week that it planned to spend "hundreds of millions" of pounds in Nottingham refurbishing the Broadmarsh and Victoria shopping centres, both of which it owns.

CSC is working on plans which it said will essentially rebuild the 40-year-old Broadmarsh centre.

It has torn up designs to create a 1.3 million sq ft centre proposed by Westfield which sold the mall to CSC last November.

Newark-based specialist retail architects Benoy have been appointed to come up with plans which could include a strong leisure element and a cinema.

The 450,000 sq ft centre could be enlarged by up to a third , said CSC chief operating officer Mike Butterworth who added that ideas were still at an early stage.

"A large chunk will have to go," he said. Construction might not happen until 2014 or 2015.

Ideas for its future direction include speciality shopping; convenience shops; strong independent shops; high end food retailers; cinema, leisure and catering outlets.

Mr Butterworth said he wanted the mix of occupants to feed off each other in terms of trade.

Jeff Allen, chairman of the Nottingham Retail BID (Business Improvement District) said the announcement was a move in the right direction and was welcomed.

But he urged CSC to consider bringing forward the timetable so that Nottingham's retail offer was not further harmed.

Delays in resolving Broadmarsh have sent Nottingham's position in the retail rankings tumbling.

Mr Allen said that CSC's proposals were realistic and not over ambitious, unlike the previous scheme which he feared would have sucked vitality from the city centre.

"We were promised massive projects by Westfield year after year and they never materialised," said Mr Allen who owns Castle Sound and Vision in Maid Marian Way.

"A more modest project is probably more in keeping with the current economic climate.

"I like the idea of turning Broadmarsh into to something a little bit more 'boutiquey,'. tidying it up, hopefully re-vitalising the link between Broadmarsh and Victoria Centre."

But Mr Allen urged CSC not to waste any time. "The earlier they can do it, the better," he said. "If there is no good reason for delay, it should proceed with all haste."

Mr Allen said Nottingham faced the challenge of making its city centre as attractive as possible in order to pull in shoppers and those looking for somewhere to spend their leisure time.

He said that any redevelopment needed to address improvements to the southern gateway from the railway station to Broadmarsh and on to the Old Market Square.

And Mr Allen believes it should also include the demolition of the concrete Arndale car park which straddles Maid Marian Way.

"It would be good if the proposals incorporated a tidy up of the whole area," he added.

"It would be nice to see that incorporated in to any planning discussion."

CSC revealed last week that Marks & Spencer has abandoned plans for a new 180,000 sq ft state-of-the-art store in Broadmarsh, opting to sign a new lease on its existing Albert Street store.

Mr Butterworth said CSC wanted to distinguish the offer of the Broadmarsh Centre from the Victoria Centre with a different shopping experience.

CSC met senior councillors last week and said the scheme must be part of a package which included refurbishing the Victoria Centre and stronger management of the public areas in the city centre.

Mr Butterworth said CSC wanted a more attractive link between the two shopping centres, extending the high end value shops on Bridlesmith Gate through Clumber Street.

No price has been placed on the Broadmarsh scheme which will largely depend on the kind of shops and other operators attracted to it.

A planning application will be submitted towards the end of this year or early next year with a view to construction beginning in late 2014 or 2015.

The plans will include re-directing the link from Lister Gate through the centre to Carrington Street so that it follows a natural desire line.

Lister Square, the open space inside the centre which includes Boots and Bhs, will be reduced in size so that stores front on to the new diagonal route.

Mr Butterworth said Broadmarsh, which straddles the main route from the railway station to the Old Market Square, had strong communication links and the question was how to take advantage of them.

The centre is close to the railway station and bus station as well as the tram network, which by the end of 2014 will have three lines converging on the area.

CSC is working on plans to refurbish the dated Victoria Centre and refurbishment could start towards the end of next year.

No details or costings are available at this stage, said Mr Butterworth but he confirmed that it was in need of a major refurbishment.

He added: "There is a lot of detail yet to be worked up but if we put it together, it is a formula for Nottingham that will hang well together.

"We believe the retail interest is still there for Nottingham and that we can get the city back towards number six in the country's retail rankings."