A MAJOR attempt to get new ideas from the public for a multi-million-pound city centre revamp scheme will be launched next month.

It aims the rejuvenate the proposed Silver Hill redevelopment in Winchester.

The city council is attempting to resurrect the redevelopment following its collapse last year.

JTP Architects have been hired to engage with the public.

The launch will be next month then a weekend in late March will be set aside for workshops and sessions for people to put forward their ideas as well as an exhibition.

A roadshow would be held in Alresford and Bishop’s Waltham, the train station and Sunday market to ensure as many people as possible are involved. Organisations such as the cathedral would also be consulted.

Charles Campion, a director of JTP Architects, said it was vital to engage with the public and the community planning which will feed into the new Supplementary Planning Document for the area.

Mr Campion told councillors on the Central Winchester Regeneration Informal Policy Group about his firm’s work: “It’s about life...about understanding the DNA of a place.”

Silver Hill, a £150m redevelopment involving flats and shops was hugely controversial, sparking major demonstrations including a 1,000-person march in 2015.

JTP will launch the exercise on February 10, with the roadshow in the week beginning March 6. The community planning weekend will be March 24-25 and JTP will report back on April 4-5.

A similar consultation was held just after the Millennium by Thornfield Properties. Many of the ideas popular with the public such a youth centre fell by the wayside, squeezed out by commercial pressures.

The IPG heard the latest on buses and parking. Council officer Andy Hickman said the city and county council were working on data collection to understand how people move around the city and how the site is accessed and used.

The county is investing in new cameras and monitoring equipment.

Mr Hickman said a lot of detailed work had been done for the first Silver Hill scheme so it was unnecessary to duplicate that.

On buses Cllr Rose Burns spoke of a new ‘hub’ at the train station. But Mr Hickman said there are 640 bus departures daily from the bus station, mostly unsubsidised commercial services, so nothing should be done to harm that viability.

Reports are also being done on flooding risk, archaeology and retail.

The IPG next meets on February 7 when it will hear from Alan Lovell of the Hampshire Cultural trust.

It is open to the public to attend.