Plans to progress with elements of the Central Winchester Regeneration proposals for the city centre were approved by Winchester City Council at a Cabinet meeting last week. Work can now start on improvements to the ground floor of Kings Walk and the surrounding public realm, and on creating an attractive temporary open space on the site of the old Friarsgate Medical Centre.
The best way to deliver the longer term vision for Kings Walk will also be considered, as well as the best option to deliver the interim on-street bus solution. More work will also be done to inform the best way to deliver the development proposals across the wider site.
The decisions have been made following feedback received from the public on the proposals, which include creating a vibrant mixed-use development with high quality new homes, flexible workspaces, a thriving night-time economy and beautiful public spaces. The consultation on the proposals ran from 11 November 2020 to 12 January 2021, with over 2,500 people visiting the virtual exhibition, over 100 attending an online consultation session and over 300 people completing a feedback questionnaire.
Cllr Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, said:
“The proposals for this crucial city centre site will bring so much to the lives of local people – creating new places to live, work, enjoy and boosting the existing High Street.
The decisions made at our Cabinet meeting mark an important step forward in making the vision for the site a reality, and delivering what people have told us they want to see here. There is work still to be done, but we are now a significant step closer to achieving this.
We are so looking forward to getting started on some of the most exciting elements of bringing this site back to life, starting with Kings Walk and a fantastic new interim public space on the site of the old Friarsgate Medical Centre.”
