A VISION of how the Winchester Bus Station site could be transformed under the Silver Hill 2 scheme has been revealed.

Civic chiefs in Winchester are looking to use empty parts of the site as temporary pop-up hubs for retail and refreshment businesses as part of the ‘meanwhile uses’ part of the project, officially known as Central Winchester Regeneration.

The site will eventually be vacated by the buses, which according to the supplementary planning document could relocate to the Middle Brook Street car park.

The images of how the bus station site could look were released in the most recent ‘broadsheet’ for the scheme after looking at other sites already in use around the country.

It said: “We’ve been looking at different options to enable temporary pop up retail and creative ‘hubs’ in the unused area of the bus station. These would be small and affordable spaces for new and emerging businesses.

“Getting the site into use as a vibrant part of the city centre is a key consideration for this area.”

The city council says it hopes to have the pop-up site up and running by next Christmas.

The vision for the bus station follows a number of transformations that have already been made, or set in motion, under the Silver Hill 2 scheme.

It has seen the Antique Market building transformed into The Nutshell, a venue for rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions and small-scale productions, alongside resident companies the Discarded Nut Theatre Company and ENCORE Youth Theatre.

In addition, new gin workshop The Blend Academy, run by Winchester Distillery, has opened in the space above Poundland in Middle Brook Street.

Also, the city council recently appointed architects Henley Halebrown to carry out the refurbishment of Coitbury House to bring the vacant 1960s building back into use as much needed office space in the city centre.

Council leader Cllr Caroline Horrill said: “This project will be a significant contribution to the wider city centre as it will create quality spaces for small businesses and bring economic activity.

“It will be good to see the building back in use as an asset to the city centre. There has already been interest from potential tenants.”

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