THE city council is reconsidering its partnership with the trust which took it to judicial review.

The City of Winchester Trust applied for a judicial review in the High Court against the £150million Station Approach scheme.

The review saw planning permission quashed last autumn and now the authority has accused the trust of taking a “confrontational approach”.

At a recent cabinet member for housing and asset management decision day questions were asked as to why the trust has been removed from the council’s list of key stakeholders.

Andrea Swain, who previously worked as a principal planning officer at the authority and is a member of the trust, raised the issue as the matter of the Central Winchester Regeneration project was on the table.

She said: “ I think we all felt that progress was made in moving things forward, notwithstanding the ultimate cost of potential works.

“I am somewhat disappointed therefore and also confused as to why the City of Winchester Trust is not included in your list of key stakeholders.

“I feel that the City of Winchester Trust has a range of expertise and local knowledge that they are able to call upon, this would be invaluable to Winchester City Council in taking not only the Central Winchester Regeneration project forward but also other future city redevelopments.”

Ms Swain asked for an explanation, to which she was met with an answer from cabinet member Cllr Kelsie Learney.

“Following the Station Approach judicial review we have been undertaking a review of our relationship with the City of Winchester Trust,” Cllr Learney said.

“It is difficult to develop a deep partnership with somebody who takes you to judicial review without notifying you first.”

And this was followed up by strategic director Chas Bradfield said: “Confrontational approach will not get us to where we need to be as a city. I think we need look really carefully as ourselves as a place and just consider how we want to work together and judicial reviews are a very confrontational approach.

“We are always very happy to talk to City of Winchester Trust but I think we just need to consider how best of a place we can go forward together to get something really great for Winchester.”