WINCHESTER civic chiefs look set to follow the same route of redeveloping the city centre as with the ill-fated Thornfield/TH Real Estate scheme.

The city council says it wants to choose a single development partner rather than multiple developers which many people feel would be better.

Civic chiefs argue circumstances are very different now to five years ago when the first Silver Hill scheme foundered.

A forum heard that the council has been considering several options, from selling its land holdings in the area between Friarsgate and The Broadway to doing the whole scheme itself.

The two favourite options are to revamp Kings Walk itself and having a development partner, or secondly, working with a development partner for the whole site.

Jennifer Newsham, of planning consultants JLL, said there were key differences now:

* The proposed development site now is smaller and comprises land mainly in city council ownership;

* The council would be able to choose the development partner which had not been the case before the TH Real Estate scheme collapsed in 2016;

* There would be no ambiguity over planning as an SPD (Supplementary Planning Document) has been agreed, with strong public support.

The Central <a href=Winchester Regenation Area, aka Silver Hill 2. Image: Winchester City Council">

The Central Winchester Regenation Area, aka Silver Hill 2. Image: Winchester City Council

The council wants a mix-used development with private and 'affordable' housing, workspaces, attractions for young people and for the night-time economy. The plan above show the current development site (blue) with area covered by the SPD (red) and whole Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR ) site.

Meanwhile, the council is dropping its commitment to retain the Kings Walk office building. It will make short-term improvements repairing the building but is dropping its commitment to spend £5 million on revamping the 1970s structure for a 'creative quarter'.

Short-term uses until 2024 still include 'creative' ideas such as converting the former Post Office loading bay off Tanner Street and the roof of the multi-storey Friarsgate car park into a public performance space by summer 2022. Money has been set aside for a programme of events to bring the area to life and deter anti-social behaviour in Middle Brook Street.

Veryan Lyons, head of programme at the city council, said the Kings Walk revamp costs were climbing but the council was committed to the creative quarter idea.

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