SO here it comes again. The Central Winchester Regeneration, better known to all as Silver Hill.

The city council has chosen a development partner and will unveil its identity on March 20. For anyone who is new to the city the scheme is a major redevelopment of the land between Friarsgate and The Broadway. Previous schemes for shops and flats have foundered for various reasons including a legal challenge by the then-city councillor Kim Gottlieb. This new attempt will be the third major initiative. Get ready for a planning application in about 18 months to two years.

READ MORE: Winchester Silver Hill: Developer agreed for major city centre scheme

The stakes could hardly be higher. Many architects and people in the property professions believe Winchester already has a reputation as being a hard place to get anything done. Cities have to evolve, so this reputation is unwelcome.

There are several advantages this time around. The city council now owns most of the land in question which makes things considerably simpler. There will be the benefit of learning from the mistakes of the past. Had the scheme which collapsed in 2016 been developed it would have been completed in the last year or two and the city would probably have now been lumbered with the white elephant of many probably-empty shops.