WINCHESTER’S civic chief says a hitherto-secret legal challenge to the process of revamping the city centre will not adversely affect the scheme.

Council chief Caroline Horrill revealed the council had taken high-level legal advice over its handling of the new planning framework that will guide the Central Winchester Regeneration, also known as Silver Hill 2.

The dispute was revealed at a public meeting at the Guildhall attended by around 50 people on Monday.

Detail was limited but Cllr Horrill said the upshot was that the framework could not be too “prescriptive” but needed to be flexible.

She said the council legal advice was that their planning framework, a supplementary planning document, was “robust and defendable.”

It was not revealed who had taken the action against the council.

Cllr Kim Gottlieb asked her to publicly confirm that he had not taken legal action. She did.

Cllr Gottlieb was instrumental in scuppering the first Silver Hill scheme with a successful action in the High Court against his own council, controlled by his own party. He now owns the St Clements Surgery building within the scheme’s area.

The news of the legal challenge sparked concerns from former city councillors. Judith Martin, ex-Liberal Democrat, said: “It’s startling to find there has been a legal challenge going on. This has been such an open and transparent process and suddenly this happens.

“It is one thing to say to a developer ‘you will build a hotel’. I don’t want to lose ‘we will’ and replace it ‘we will like to.’”

The SPD has been revised in one the biggest public consultations carried out by the council. The revised version is due to be adopted by Cabinet on June 20.

Unlike the first Silver Hill scheme is envisages the retention of the Antiques Market, the use of multiple architects and the exposure of the hidden waterways.

Retail would remain important. Catherine Turness, director of the Winchester Business Improvement District, welcomed the SPD and its place for retail.

She said the shop vacancy rate was only 3.1 per cent compared to the national average of 8.9. If anything it was too low as it meant landlords could maximise rent and it meant there were fewer units available for independent traders keen for a High Street presence. “Winchester isn’t dying it is diversifying. The climate is challenging but businesses are resilient,” she said.

A member of the public, Max Priesemann, raised concerns about the proposed new public realm such as the opening of the underground waterways. He sought assurances that these would remain open to the public and not be private spaces as in parts of London.

Cllr Horrill replied: “The quality of the public realm is absolutely crucial. The public spaces will be key. They won’t be locked behind a door.”

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