SIR: The Chronicle headlines a “revival” for Kings Walk, part of which entails removing the “brick walls on which vagrants, beggars and drug users sit during the day”. The city council says that it wants “to ‘design out’ the anti-social behaviour around the front entrance of Kings Walk”. Yet it was only a few years ago, in August 2017, that the council spent £52,000 removing the fountain and seating around it, and installed the brick planters with castellated tops for the exact same purpose of discouraging anti-social behaviour.

The idea never worked and while this might not be the biggest waste of money by the city council – there is a long list of candidates for that title – it neatly illustrates the council’s addiction to O.P.M. (spending other people’s money). Along with an addiction to power, this is a significant cause of anti-social behaviour and really ought to be discouraged.

Of course, it’s right to make good and imaginative use of the accommodation while it’s standing, but Kings Walk needs to come to down. It is ugly, overbearing and an obstruction to the ultimate regeneration of the whole Silver Hill area.

READ MORE HERE: Architects appointed to undertake revamp of Kings Walk in Winchester

Hundreds of thousands of pounds were wasted on the ill-conceived idea of refurbishing the whole of Kings Walk. Thankfully that idea has now been binned, but the council’s latest plans for Silver Hill will end up wasting millions. The council is pursuing a marketing plan that will stifle competition, and by failing to resolve issues such as the site’s archaeology and the movement strategy, it has made necessary the inclusion of substantial provisional costs which will shrink the potential profit.

Rather than wasting more hundreds of thousands on temporary fixes, the council should immediately proceed with a redevelopment of Kings Walk. It’s large enough to make for a significant piece of regeneration, and while that’s occurring the council should take responsibility for investigating the rest of the site’s archaeology BEFORE selling it to a developer. This approach would achieve far better financial and cultural outcomes but, but it’s the addicts inside the Guildhall who are the cause of all the problems.

Kim A Gottlieb,

East Stratton

 

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