BOURNEMOUTH'S Quadrant Centre is to host an indoor market as new landlords try and turn around the fortunes of the shopping arcade.

A lack of investment and direction over recent years means the Christchurch Road shopping centre currently stands half empty.

But new landlords have come in and are determined to change that by creating a "bazaar-style" indoor market to appeal to local entrepreneurs and producers.

Jon Tizzard, of Ellis and Partners, who acquired the centre on behalf of clients, said: "The idea is to create a real buzz in this part of the town.

"I love a good market and there are loads of local producers, farmers and entrepreneurs who will make this a refreshing place to shop."

The idea has the backing of town centre manager Roger Parker who said: "The new landlord seems to have a little bit more ambition and idea than the previous owners.

"What the town is crying out for is a space that is suitable for the entrepreneurs that we have got in the area who are otherwise frightened off by exorbitantly high rents.

"I don't think you are going to see a high street type market in there. Instead, I think it will attract small clothes stores, trinket and jewellery type operators and so on. I think it will feel like a bazaar or a quarter.

"We've also got a whole army of farmers and food producers out in the county and this might be an opportunity for them to present their wares to a much bigger footfall."

He added: "The Quadrant Centre's virtually empty at the moment. It's a huge retail floorspace but it's not presenting retail space as modern retailers want it."

The indoor market proposal follows the opening of the Mary Shelley, a JD Wetherspoon pub, on the former Bar Med site.