Winchester civic leader George Beckett has denied the controversial idea of a ‘knowledge park’ on the edge of the city is a dead duck.

He clashed with councillors over the future of Bushfield Camp, the redundant army base on the southern edge of Winchester.

The city council has suggested it may be a good place to build a centre for a science park-style development, a base for creative industries.

But the council’s own consultants, Vail Williams, recently warned that the idea is not financially viable.

And Cllr Brian Collin, Liberal Democrat, said at council: “It is time the pipedream of an industrial park off the motorway is not going to take place and to drop it.”

But Tory group and council leader, Cllr Beckett, denied the idea was for an “industrial park”, and said it was too early to drop it.

“It is not a pipedream,” he said.

“It’s an imaginative effort to look forward to the next 25 years, to see how the economy can be made sustainable, and not be in the position of the last seven-eight years, when major employers have wanted to come here and have been unable to do so because there was no land for it.”

Studies had to be completed into transport implications, impact on biodiversity and landscape, as well as economic viability, he said.

Cllr Beckett said the Vail Williams study was based on office space.

He said: “A knowledge park is quite a different proposition and, in the proposed location, would attract quite a different clientele.

“If developed right, it would present a unique opportunity for high value businesses to take space suited to their needs — not offices.”

He said he had asked the landowners, the Church Commissioners, to “explain their vision” about a knowledge park.

Cllr Beckett added: “My administration, and indeed the local business community, are very supportive of the knowledge park proposal, as are important organisations such as the universities of Southampton and Winchester.

“I want to see the full studies range completed to provide a proper assessment of the vision for a knowledge park.

“The exciting opportunity I have in mind is an important component of our future economic prosperity.

“I believe studies will show that the development is acceptable and deliverable, so that it can be made a firm allocation of the Core Strategy.”

The report last autumn by consultants, Vail Williams, said: “The development is not viable at today’s yields and, even assuming a significant improvement in the market, a negligible land value would need to be attributed to the site if development of a ‘knowledge park’ is to occur.”