A PUBLIC meeting to discuss the future use of Wimborne Square will take place in 2014.

Plans to split the area into three for use as an ‘alfresco cafe’ have been submitted to the district council.

As part of the proposals, only those businesses bordering the divides – Lloyds TSB, Wimborne Interiors and Ockenden and Hemming jewellers – will be allowed to set up outdoor cafe facilities, even though none serve refreshments.

The plans attracted criticism from Costa Coffee franchisee Mark Brown, who said they would leave him at a ‘complete disadvantage’, and the council decided to defer their decision until a public consultation had taken place.

The meeting will be held at Allendale House in Wimborne on January 6 from 6pm.

A spokesman from the district council said: “The provision of an outdoor café on part of the pedestrianised area has been discussed in the past, but the area the café could occupy and the way in which the operator or operators would be selected has not yet been decided.”