A 'business improvement district' has been proposed for the town that could result in shopkeepers paying extra in return for better marketing, street cleaning and crime reduction measures.

Warwickshire County Council will be advertising for a manager to promote the project in the next month and hopes to make an appointment in the next three months.

That person will have to persuade more than 350 businesses to support the BID, as the areas can only be set up if a majority of traders agree. Organisers hope to put the scheme to a vote in around one year's time.

Warwick Chamber of Trade chairman Sue Butcher argued the extra cost was no more than the price of an advert, and stressed that every business would be able to vote on the idea.

She said: "It is a way of businesses taking control of what happens in their area.

"You do pay a bit more but you get the benefit of marketing and other services throughout the whole year."

Nicola Higgin owns NicolaLouise goldsmiths in Smith Street.

She believes marketing would be the best use of Warwick shopkeepers' money.

She said: "Warwick has a really good town centre and getting people to realise that is half the battle. It would be good to let people know what is here, especially for local people."

A BID project is already running in Rugby and shopkeepers in Leamington voted in April to set up a scheme expected to raise £1.5 million over the next five years.

Stratford has also begun work towards its own business improvement district and Solihull may also develop a scheme.

Warwickshire County Council town centre regeneration manager Sue Ashley said Miss Ashley said: "It is about making sure our towns stay ahead of the game. It does generate a lot of potential income in the town and the business community has a lot more say over how its money is spent."