THE masterplan to revamp the south of Romsey’s town centre has been unveiled after two years of work.
A fishlake square, new retail and dining space, including a new mobility hub, are just some of the plans for the area around Crosfield Hall and the Broadwater Road car park over the next five to ten years.
As reported, the masterplanning process began through the Romsey Future partnership, including Romsey Town Council and Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), in 2018 after consultants Nexus and Perkins & Will Architects were appointed.
Now, it has been revealed the masterplan will be presented to the borough's full council for adoption on Wednesday, September 2.
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As part of the plans, the budget supermarket, Aldi, in The Hundred, could be relocated to the Crosfield Hall site in Broadwater Road.
This means the old Aldi site could be used as a gym, restaurants, offices or for stores, which may face The Hundred.
The current Aldi car park would then be redesigned, so customers can use nearly 200 spaces.
Some of the short-term plans for the area include terraced seating and improving the views to the Fishlake stream as it runs along the current bus station and down towards Dukes Mill, as well as transforming Broadwater Road with new pedestrian surfaces and access points.
A new mobility hub would be created within a new relocated bus station. This would boast bicycle storage and ‘Amazon-style’ collection and storage lockers.
A mixed-use development would also be put in place on the existing bus station site, including commercial space on the ground level, which could include restaurants and dining outlets.
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Community leaders threw their support behind the plans, with one councillor stressing the town has a "bright future".
Local plan workstream lead, Cllr John Parker, said: “This document shows how bright the future of our town can truly be, and how we can really make the most of our potential for this area.
"The plans are considerate, green and really take into account the character of Romsey, which is something we all want to ensure is maintained in any new plans.
"We are on the path to something potentially very special for our town.”
Town centre workstream lead, Mark Edgerley, said: “Having plans that are flexible to the future of our town is absolutely vital, and I’m pleased to see that this is reflected in the final masterplan.
"These ideas support the potential for more independent business and the possibility to create more retail units facing The Hundred."
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Cllr Mark Cooper, who represents the Romsey Tadburn ward, added: “While we rightly celebrate the history of our town, we need to make sure it prospers, moving forward.
"The consultation process has been extremely extensive and has resulted in a well-rounded, thought-out document that takes into account our history, our present, and how best to achieve a successful future.
"Thank you to everybody who took part, and hopefully this is a masterplan of which we can all be proud and excited by.”
Other improvements in the plans include the current Crosfield Hall site being used for parking and, before it is transformed, alternative community space will be provided in the town.
Public toilets and other facilities would be built into the area and a new public plaza, called Fishlake Square, would be created.
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