PLANS to give the Market Place a makeover have been revealed.

A new glass entrance with state-of-the-art lifts could be created at the shopping centre in Knowsley Street.

This latest proposal by property developer Moorgarth aims to improve access for customers at street level and from the multi-storey car park.

Two new "modern" lifts would replace those inside the shopping centre, according to Market Place manager Nikki Wilson-Cook.

She said: “The brand new entrance will entice shoppers and matches the style of our listed building.

"The lifts originally installed in the eighties are reaching the end of their working lives, so we’re delighted to have new plans in place to enable brand new access from Knowsley Street.

"The changes will make it much easier for customers to access the centre from the multi-storey car park. The state-of-the-art new lifts will come as welcome news to visitors and shoppers at Market Place."

Once the new lifts are installed, the old ones would be decommissioned and removed.

This could create space for more independent retailers to trade as well as events and activities.

The lifts will also have the potential to access the Vaults level as and when this becomes necessary or desirable.

The architects behind the scheme promise that the new lifts would be faster, more efficient and reliable than the current "panorama feature" scenic lifts.

The current shopping centre lifts frequently break down, causing “inconvenience” and “stress” to customers, according to a statement by Wren Architecture and Design.

It said: “The centre management team have been advised that spare parts are becoming harder to obtain and that within 18 months the lifts will be practically obsolete.

“In the light of this, the proposal seeks permission to replace the existing lifts with new ones on the West elevation of the building adjacent the new entrance.

“This will allow for the continued functioning of the existing lifts as and until the new lifts are completed and commissioned to ensure essential continuous access to the shopping centre whilst works are being carried out.

“An additional benefit will be that it minimises disruption to trading within the shopping centre and removes a visual obstacle to the key anchor tenant that has long been an issue for the centre as a whole.”

The lifts would be installed in a new tower which would sit next to Debenhams alongside one of the original “campanile” style stair towers.

A total of 14 disabled car parking spaces will be relocated close to the new lift core at car park level 1.

The new lift tower will be clad in the same material used on the cinema entrance 75 metres further south on Knowsley Street.

The plans also include demolishing a “redundant” single-storey glazed timber building which would free up space taken up by the new lobby.

Town hall planners are expected to decide whether to approve the application by March.