A PUBLIC showcase was held which gave residents the chance to take a look at plans for a major revamp of Winchester city centre.

Officially known as the Central Winchester Regeneration project (CWR), plans for the Silver Hill 2 scheme aim to create a vibrant area for both residents, shoppers and tourists to enjoy.

On Tuesday, November 14 the public were invited to a drop-in exhibition at the Walton Suite in Winchester Guildhall which featured highlights from the recently launched draft supplementary planning document (SPD), which sets out the architects’ vision for the development, displayed on exhibition panels, as well as copies of the draft SPD for visitors to take away.

Rebecca Taylor, Partner at architect JTP who are over seeing the project said that response to the consultation had been positive thus far, and that they had been delighted to see the work come forward. she said: "It has been a great process, and people are keen to get involved, which has helped to make our vision of the future development more nuanced and better."

"We are working hard to create a shared vision that will be modern but reflect the slow development over time of the city itself."

Leader of Winchester City Council, Councillor Caroline Horrill, said: “We had a very good turnout and we are really pleased that so many people in the Winchester District want to be involved and took the time to come along to this drop-in event.

We are glad so many people looked closely at the detail within the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and provided their initial feedback, which is key to this document.

The Central Winchester Regeneration project is about creating a city centre which delivers for people in Winchester, the businesses in the city, the wider local economy and the tourists that come to our city. We are delighted to see people take part and engage and to help us shape the plans that can make Winchester a better place to live in, work in and visit. "

The plans will go before Winchester City Council’s cabinet for approval before the formal consultation process begins on December 11. A final SPD will be approved in spring/summer 2018.