HUNTINGDONSHIRE District Council s cabinet will be asked next week to approve the drawing up of a development brief for a 1.5 acre site belonging to the council in St Neots town centre as the first stage of a marketing campaign to dispose of the site for

HUNTINGDONSHIRE District Council's cabinet will be asked next week to approve the drawing up of a development brief for a 1.5 acre site belonging to the council in St Neots town centre as the first stage of a marketing campaign to dispose of the site for which potential developers have already emerged.

Two parties have expressed an interest in the site, but the council is keen that the site's availability is made known as widely as possible so that more interested parties have the opportunity of submitting their ideas of how they would interpret the brief.

The site used to house the demolished former fire station and includes the waste recycling centre that is due to move at the end of this year

Councillor Doug Dew, HDC's executive councillor for planning strategy and transport, said: "This is a very important site and it is appropriate that we consider all the options carefully before making a decision.

"We already have a design framework published in 2006, which envisages a small scale development of mixed uses together with car parking and improved pedestrian links through to the town centre.

"There is an opportunity now to create something that will be of great benefit to St Neots and, because it is land that belongs to the council, we have a duty to dispose of it in a way that brings best value for the Council Tax payers and residents of the district."

If the cabinet approves the drawing up of the detailed development brief, then all interested parties will be invited to submit details of their proposals, including drawings to show the layout and what the final development will look like, a draft timetable to put it in place, and financial proposals.