FEARS have been raised that the current River Park Leisure Centre in Winchester city centre could be transformed into housing.

Currently the site is home to the leisure centre, but there are plans that are in an advanced stage to build a new £34m facility in Bar End to replace it.

But the future of the site is currently unclear and has led to speculation about whether it may one day be housing, which according to city councillor Dominic Hiscock would be hugely unpopular.

At a full council meeting on Thursday, Cllr Hiscock, called for council bosses to rule out the site being turned into housing.

However council leader Caroline Horrill did not deny this and said there needs to be a debate about the site, but said there has been discussions about its future.

Cllr Hiscock said: “Can the leader rule out today the possibility of any housing on that site when the new scheme comes forward."

“I wonder how aware they are of the depth of feeling there would be if that was developed.

"Your predecessors said he had no plans to develop that as housing what has changed?"

Cllr Horrill said that the land has a covenant on it, and there have been no discussions about it, and accused Cllr Hiscock of misrepresenting her.

Cllr Horrill said:“I have not entered into any discussions at this stage regarding the future of the site because we want to ensure the new leisure centre is agreed, then we can put in place a deal for the termination of the existing site.

She said there is currently a covenant on the site and reiterated that the discussions will only happen once the future of the new site is secured.

Cllr Horrill added: “We have to have the discussion and if that time we have a debate and everyone says absolutely not we will act accordingly.

"There has been absolutely no discussions about that site in any shape or form"

City councillor Ian Tait, said people should have an open mind about housing at the site:

Cllr Tait said:“We need to have an open mind there could be good reason why some residential accommodation on that site could be beneficial.”