Warrington Council has outlined plans to revitalise the town centre with a £52m mixed-use development.

The scheme, which will have a contemporary market hall at its heart, is set to create a new family-friendly shopping, restaurant and leisure experience featuring a multiplex cinema and new civic centre.

The 3.4 hectare (8.4 acre) development site extends from Bridge Street and across the existing Time Square development and includes the site of the existing market.

The project will be delivered by Warrington Borough Council with development partner, Muse.

A phased programme of site development over the next five years will create up to 400 construction jobs and 400 new permanent jobs in the leisure, retail and restaurant sectors when fully completed in 2018.

A £400,000 programme of landscaping and environmental improvements to improve the appearance of Lower Bridge Street is already underway to be completed prior to Christmas 2013.

Subject to consultation, the first construction phases of the project will start on site in Autumn 2014.

The project will be managed by Warrington & Co., which was established to act as a partnership between Warrington Borough Council, business leaders and key organisations to deliver regeneration strategies.

Councillor Terry O’Neill, leader of Warrington Borough Council said: "This is a tremendously exciting moment for our town and a huge step forward in its regeneration and renaissance.

“This scheme, complemented by the Stadium Quarter scheme and the potential of the Cabinet Works initiative, will herald the start of a return to a revitalised, vibrant town centre. Our vision, as set out in our regeneration framework Warrington Means Business is to re-stimulate, re-energise and re-populate the inner town.”