FOUR businesses are interested in moving into the Station Approach development in Winchester, a meeting heard.

The scheme recently hit the buffers after councillors rejected a proposal from London-based Hopkins Architects.

The city council has agreed to restart the process that would eventually transform the Carfax area by the train station into new offices, shops and flats.

Cllr Guy Ashton asked how the new process would be different to the first. "What is going to be different so we don't end up in the same position. What key learning has cabinet taken on board?"

Council leader Stephen Godfrey the council would use the design brief in a different way. "We are giving ourselves more freedom to bring forward a design that is acceptable and that will work for Winchester."

Cllr Godfrey said an architect would be appointed before they started the design and would work with the potential tenants of the offices.

Critics say the design brief was the reason that Hopkins and the other bidder, Winchester-based Design Engine both came up with scheme that were condemned for being too large.

The scheme has been delayed by the need for traffic assessments to see how city centre traffic will be affected by the development.

Cllr Dominic Hiscock said parts of the city centre were Air Quality Management Areas because they are so polluted. Any scheme must minimise any further impact on them.

A group will be set up for ongoing consultation to include councillors, local residents, the City of Winchester trust, chamber of commerce, BID, Peter Symonds College, the university, 20:20 Group and local secondary schools.

Cllr Lucille Thompson, the Liberal Democrat group leader, said; "I'm please a group will be set up. it needs to be a steering group. we need to look at the design brief again. If we go with the same design brief we will just come up with a similar proposal to Bidder B (Hopkins)."