AN EMERGENCY summit has been called to consider ditching the controversial firm behind the Silver Hill scheme.

Rebel Winchester councillors have forced a vote on whether to remove TH Real Estate from the £150 million project, which would redevelop a quarter of the city centre.

They say the developer's plans for the shops, homes and public facilities would be "disastrous" for the city.

TH Real Estate, formerly known as Henderson, has come under fire for reviving a scheme it previously said was financially unviable.

It is pursuing plans first approved in 2009 after its preferred scheme, which sparked public protest by dropping a bus station and affordable housing, was quashed in the High Court.

As reported by the Chronicle, the developer believes work could begin on site by the end of the year.

The motion is led by four councillors defying their own Conservative administration. Cllr Kim Gottlieb, the leading anti-Silver Hill campaigner, was joined on Wednesday by Rose Burns, Jan Warwick and Malcolm Wright.

Cllr Burns told the Chronicle: "The council is on the cusp of a disastrous decision. I'm hoping the tide is turning.

"The council should exercise its entitlement to terminate the contract with THRE now. They're entitled to do so without financial penalty so long as conditions of the development agreement regulation are met."

Janet Berry and Clive Gosling from Labour and Liberal Democrat Brian Laming have also called for the developer to go.

It comes after new council leader Stephen Godfrey appeared to play down an alternative scheme proposed by conservation group Save Britain's Heritage.

In a statement on Tuesday, Cllr Godfrey welcomed the input but said: "This is not about whether one possible scheme is better than another. The only matter that the council needs to think about is what options exist right now to meet today’s needs.

"The crucial issue – and the one that should guide our decisions – is whether any given scheme is the best for Winchester. This means a scheme that regenerates a run-down part of the city, provides affordable housing and retail opportunities, caters for public transport, delivers appropriate architecture, improves the public realm and – importantly – can be funded."

The meeting takes place at Winchester Guildhall next Thursday, June 18, at 7pm.