COUNCILLORS clashed last night over how to respond to a stinging report on Silver Hill.

Investigator Claer Lloyd-Jones has made recommendations on how to improve Winchester City Council's practices and public engagement in the wake of the development fiasco.

She has called for an overhaul of the authority's constitution and decision-making, alongside a review of how major projects are managed.

But some councillors took issue with how her advice was summarised by Cllr Simon Cook, chairman of overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllrs Malcolm Wright and Robert Sanders opposed using the development's 2003 planning brief to decide where to go next.

Describing the document as a "dinosaur", Cllr Sanders said: "Sell the land to the highest bidder and do our job as a planning authority rather than faffing around trying to be an income generator when we don't have the in-house skills as a project developer."

Cllr Martin Tod called on the council to ask the public what their priorities were for the area, adding that the scheme's height became a sticking point for the public over other factors.

He said: "If you have a generous financial settlement and a car park and a bus station and public space and social housing you can't have a low building in that plan because you need to have commercial space in order to make it work."

Praising Cllr Cook's summary, committee vice-chairman Cllr Patricia Stallard said: "Not only will we understand them, but members of the public will understand them and I think that's very important."

The recommendations will be referred to cabinet and full council.

But the council has not set money aside for implementing them, the meeting heard.