Major development looks set to boost Cirencester
Developer PH Gillingham submitted a £3.5 million proposal in May to inject new life into the back of the Woolmarket in Dyer Street.
Cotswold District Council's planning committee is expected to rubber-stamp the project to create four new shops and eight apartments on Wednesday.
Planning officers are recommending the scheme gets the go-ahead.
The proposal has been criticised by members of Cirencester Town Council, who said it will take away much-needed parking spaces.
District council planning officer Deborah Smith recommended the committee supports the plan. She said: "The Local Plan describes this area as having some of the poorest quality townscape in Cirencester's centre.
"Officers consider this is a bleak area of unresolved townscape which detracts from the character and appearance of the conservation area."
Ms Smith said the whole Dyer Street and Waterloo area would benefit from redevelopment, but land was under different owners.
She said: "In this light, this new development could serve as a catalyst for further high quality development within the locality and improve the appearance of this part of town."
Up to 50 car park spaces will be lost if the scheme goes ahead.
PH Gillingham says it has done a survey which shows The Waterloo, Forum and Brewery car parks could take up the slack.
The district council wants the developer to give £95,000 to provide off-site parking and to help town centre traffic management.
The scheme features a three-storey building with ground floor shops and eight two-bedroom flats on the other two floors. The top units would have roof gardens.
If the scheme gets the go-ahead it will follow a revamp of Cirencester, kick-started by the new leisure centre and St James Place, and Brewery Arts and Wildmoor's revamp of the Corn Hall and plans for the Post Office site.
The planning committee meets at 9.30am at the Trinity Road offices.
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