PERMISSION to potentially create four new units inside the Market Place has been granted by planning officials.

An application for listed building consent was submitted by the Moorgarth Group - who own the Grade II listed shopping centre.

If architects go ahead with the plans, the new units would be created in the space currently occupied by clothing store Zara, which is situated over two floors.

The escalator between the ground floor and first floor of the store would also be removed as part of the plans.

Two of the proposed units would be on the ground floor, with one facing out into the mall and a smaller one facing into Corporation Street.

There would be one large unit on the first floor.

The fourth would be a retail unit in the Vaults. The space is currently used by Zara as storage.

It is unclear what the plans mean for Zara. When the application was submitted, Tim Vaughan, chief executive of Moorgarth said that a number of options are currently being reviewed and that nothing may change for a number of years.

Planning officer Martin Mansell approved the plans. In his report, he wrote: “The works relate either to the 2006 interventions into this building, or involve very limited and entirely acceptable works to the basement vaults. No harm will be caused to the heritage significance of this heritage asset.