WINCHESTER MP Steve Brine has aired his concerns over Station Approach.

In a letter to city council leader Lucille Thompson, he questioned what the next steps were for the £150 million scheme.

One issue was the plans to reduce space dedicated for offices, which came after the project was stalled by legal action.

“I am, of course, aware of the successful legal challenge last year brought by the City of Winchester Trust and the admission by Winchester City Council that it acted unlawfully in respect of a point of planning statute,” says the letter.

“But the newspaper (Chronicle) report suggests a much wider re-think is now taking place. Given the challenge Winchester faces with the retention – and recruitment – of high quality employers, is it really the position that office space in the new Station Approach will be significantly reduced from 150,000 to just 25,000 square feet? If so, do Winchester BiD and the Hampshire Chamber have a view and have they indeed been asked?”

MP Brine also asked what the Lib Dem-led council’s stance was on the scheme, stating it is “important” regenerate the site opposite the railway station.

He adds: “Individual councillors will always have a view but what is the policy of Winchester City Council? As you know, to lead is to choose and to take a decision even if that means taking on those with a different view.

“You will understand, with no visible progress at Bushfield Camp and the likelihood Sir John Moore Barracks will not now contain any significant new employment space, I am concerned for the future prosperity of Winchester and the vibrancy of the local job market.

“We cannot simply be a beautiful tourist attraction with good schools and export the majority of our residents out of the city – many by road and on the increasingly overcrowded trains – to nearby Basingstoke, Southampton or indeed London.”

The letter concludes by asking about the council’s current relationship with the City of Winchester Trust, which has been removed from the council’s list of key stakeholders.

Cllr Thompson said in a statement: “Supporting the local economy of our district is of critical importance to us and that is why it is a central theme in our Council Plan. That remains a commitment even with all the business uncertainty of Covid-19.

“The regeneration of central Winchester and other sites in the city are part of that. It is also why we’ve made great efforts to distribute our Covid-19 business support grant quickly to businesses that need financial support now, with new applications being received every day.”