Last year Secretary of State for the Environment John Prescott threw out two rival proposals by Legal & General and a consortium of Schroders and Allied London Properties on the grounds that--at one million sf-plus--they were out of scale with Bracknell's place in the regional retail hierarchy. He ordered the council to take the lead in bringing forward more appropriate proposals.

The EDAW plan will now be subject to three months of public consultation before an official draft is drawn up. The council's Head of Property and Regeneration Stephen Gaimster said planning permission could be granted next year, allowing work to begin on refurbishing the existing Charles Square shopping precinct in 2003. And the proposed mall could be completed by 2007.

The masterplan includes 635,000 sf of new retail including two new anchor stores; 43,000 sf of cafes, bars and restaurants; 27,000 sf of entertainment and leisure uses; 645,000 sf of offices; 600 new homes and a new Civic centre, library and children's nursery as well as an hotel and serviced apartments.