Council gamble on Silver Hill (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Council gamble on Silver Hill

5:17pm Wednesday 30th September 2009 in Silver Hill By Chris Harris

CIVIC chiefs have staked up to £550,000 in a gamble over whether Winchester's Silver Hill redevelopment will go ahead.

They have agreed the figure for upgrading and relocating their CCTV control room from the city centre to the Basepoint building in Winnall.

This is despite having no guarantees the Silver Hill scheme is going ahead. If it does developers Thornfield Properties will pay the city council £1m, thus covering the cost of the move.

Winchester City Council (WCC) is being forced to make a decision on relocating the CCTV control because it needs to be completed before work starts on Silver Hill - due to be in 2011.

In a report for a meeting of WCC's cabinet on Wednesday (September 16) Andy Hickman, head of access and infrastructure, said the existing surveillance equipment was analogue and outdated.

He added: "It is also at maximum capacity and unable to accept any further camera feeds, for example from the new park and ride site.

"The new digital system will be a considerable technical improvement but it would be pointless and wasteful to install it at the existing location, which is likely to be demolished in two years time."

Steve Tilbury WCC's head of planning, said: "We would still be recommending we do this regardless of whether Silver Hill is happening."

Mr Tilbury revealed Thornfield had agreed to reimburse up to £300,000 of the council's preparatory works at Winnall if the Silver Hill scheme did not go ahead.

Meanwhile Lib Dem councillors urged the authority to instead move the CCTV facility to the new fire station in Easton Lane.

But Cllr George Beckett, WCC leader, said: "It's too late, the commitment has been made."