Civic chiefs have agreed to trigger the next phase of a major development around Winchester Railway Station, despite a member of the public calling for it to be halted.

Winchester City Council's Cabinet agreed to move forward with a masterplan for Station Approach, at its meeting on Tuesday July 18.

It was also agreed to release £295,000 from the regeneration reserve to fund the planning work.

The city council is looking at a £150 million-plus regeneration of the land between Gladstone Street and the Cattle Market on Andover Road, including the station car parks and Carfax. 

Ideas include up to 250 new homes, offices, shops, cafes and restaurants. A council report said the aim was to make it a place that people would want to linger rather than just pass through.

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Local resident Dr Nicholas Dennis expressed his concerns over the scale of the scheme.

He said: “There are several office buildings which have stood empty for years. Apparently they do not meet the requirements which are sought by the type of employers the council wants to attract to Winchester. 

“While the council seems to have trouble implementing the smaller things that so obviously need doing, is it wise for them to embark on large projects that, inevitably, contain larger elements of risk?

“I imagine that most Winchester residents will not be happy for savings to be made elsewhere for this to go ahead. I would like to see the council pay more attention to smaller projects and postpone this scheme, especially in the light of the current economic climate.”

The meeting heard that no decision on proceeding with the scheme would be made before late 2024 or early 2025 when the economic climate had improved with inflation and interest rates expected to be lower than now.

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It also heard that Network Rail which owns the car parks at the station has decided not to be a partner with any development.

Cllr Lucille Thompson said: “I've always supported the principle of development here. It will support the economy and local growth. There is a huge shortage of quality office space in the city which employers feel are fit for purpose. I'm happy to support the recommendations.”

Council leader Martin Tod said: “The station area is not what it could be. We can do better than this. It needs to be a connected, sustainable development. I think it can be the engine for our movement strategy. This is a prudent and sensible proposal.”

The committee agreed to the recommendations. The scheme's masterplan is set to be completed by the end of next year.