WINCHESTER civic chiefs have approved expenditure for reviving the deteriorating Kings Walk building.

They are spending £385,000 on sprucing up the city council-owned building as a 'meanwhile' use before it is swept away in the Silver Hill scheme.

Before then the building will be made more attractive to visitors and the shop tenants.

Council leader Martin Tod said: "It's about making sure Kings Walk continues to thrive, or thrives even more, ahead of its redevelopment. The building is close to not being fit for purpose in its current state and not adequate for the next few years."

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Under the surfacing plans for the Silver Hill redevelopment, Kings Walk is likely to be in the latter phase, meaning it will remain for several years.

A sum of £84,000 had already been set aside and on Thursday the Cabinet regeneration committee agreed to earmark £301,000 for the scheme.

Work will include new lighting, a courtyard garden outside the Nutshell and better signing from the High Street.

With rising costs due to inflation a couple of ideas have been dropped: the former post office unloading bay in Tanner Street was earmarked as an outdoor performance space and the rooftop of Middle Brook Street offices was going to be brought back into use with its striking views across the city.

Veryan Lyons, head of programme for Central Winchester Regeneration, said the work already carried out had proved popular.

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"The tenants really like it. The atmosphere has changed. Anti-social behaviour around Kings Walk is no longer an issue. It was a real issue before. Now there is a reduced risk of vandalism".

The tailor in Kings Walk Murat Zendel would disagreee, as his shop has recently been the victim of much anti-social behaviour, as reported in the Chronicle.

Cllr Paula Ferguson said: "I'm excited to see the continued improvement of Kings Walk. That part of Winchesterused to be more vibrant when we had the Antiques Market. People moved through the area more freely.

"Residents have told us there is nowhere to sit, no benches to rest on for a while. So I welcome the enlivening of the space and making it more useable."

The council is helping the tenants set up a website to promote the events at businesses such as South Downs Social and Bespoke Biking, which are looking to hold more evening events.