SIR: The letter by Steve Brine MP (Chronicle, August 27) is a clarion call about the future of Winchester. I am sure that Winchester City Council will take this opportunity to reinvigorate the discussions on both the Silver Hill and the Station Approach development plans. Strong leadership is required in order to make these projects come to fruition.

The Covid19 pandemic has changed a lot of things and some of these changes will be permanent. The question as to where and how we work may well be one of those changes. Our previous ways of working included living in Winchester, commuting to London, working in an office doing work much of which apparently we could do from home and then travelling back to Winchester only to repeat this operation the next day.

Working from home also has its issues, many of which need to be discussed further. So Steve Brine's suggestion that Winchester becomes an exciting workplace destination has a lot of merit. I suggest that rather than working in London or working from home, smaller regional offices based in Winchester may be a solution worth considering. This would remove the chore of commuting and will facilitate the benefits of working in an office for many people.

The Silver Hill and Station Approach projects could provide a solution to this vision. There are other sites as well, Saxongate, the Cattle Market, the Sir John Moore Barracks and Bushfield.

Just a thought for consideration and discussion.

Paul Murray MBE,

Shepherds Lane,

Compton