CIVIC chiefs have revealed the next steps for a major regeneration of the city centre.

A delivery map shows how construction on the central Winchester regeneration (CWR) project is planned to begin by the end of 2021.

The ‘roadmap’ marks the first timescale released for the project – also known as Silver Hill 2 – by the city council, and covers the next four years.

It focuses largely on the planning and funding phases of the scheme, although work is expected to get under way during that period on a number of aspects, first of which will be the relocation of the bus station.

A decision is expected by the end of this year on the new home for the station, although it is currently being linked with the Middle Brook Street car park.

Relocation work will then begin in the second half of 2020, with the redevelopment of the current bus station forecast to get under way in 2021.

Meanwhile, work is expected to start on improving the public realm near the Guildhall in the near future, starting in lower High Street this year, and finishing by King Alfred’s Statue in mid 2020.

Archaeological work is also expected to begin this year, and work to explore the potential new museum will continue until 2021.

The roadmap follows a number of small-scale projects to improve the central Winchester regeneration area in the meantime.

Those include turning the Antique Market into The Nutshell arts venue and opening The Bike Hub at Open House Deli in the old post office site in Middle Brook Street.

City council leader and chairman of the CWR committee Cllr Caroline Horrill said: “2018 was an exciting year for the project with many milestones reached, so to begin 2019 with a roadmap that reflects the progress that will be made over the next four years is very exciting.