The council looks set to snap up the Wise’s BP site for a new town square as part of its main street redevelopment.

The revamped prime corner site features in planning documents prepared by consultants Hassell that will go before the council in the coming weeks.

The plans show an open public space on the corner of Bussell Highway and Fearn Avenue backed by a café and commercial premises.

Shire president Ray Colyer said there had long been public calls for an open town square space and the council would put in a funding application through the Supertowns program asking for money to purchase the site if and when it came available.

He stressed the Shire would need the funds as well as the willingness of the owners to sell if the aspirational project was to come to fruition.

“It makes sense,” he said.

“First of all the service stations going on down the main street (they are) probably in the wrong spot.”

Owning that site would give the Shire clear access along Fearn Avenue to the public toilets that are also due for landscaping and refurbishment as part of the Hassell plan.

BP operator Bevan McCann said he wasn’t across all the details of the deal, but he had directed CEO Gary Evershed to the executor of the estate and he had also asked for three months’ warning on his lease before packing up his business should the site be sold.

After the owner of the site recently passed away, four adult children inherited the property and they were split over what to do with it, although some were keen to sell, Mr McCann said.

“Everyone knows end of July they may be all out of it, but hopefully they will give us three months’ notice,” Mr McCann said.

It was expected if the Shire bought the site the garage would continue to operate until the main street development was ready to kick off, he said.

Cr Colyer said even if the Shire had the money to buy the site, there were no guarantees it would secure the premises given it would go on the open market.

He couldn’t confirm if officers had discussed the purchase with the owners, though he said it was likely.

Architect Chris Willcox previously floated a proposal for a town square on the same location, combined with a closure of the Fearn Avenue road reserve between Bussell Highway and Charles West Avenue to create a pedestrian plaza.

Anthony Brookfield from Hassell did not return calls from the Times.