£165m scheme approved after number of homes cut

Controversial plans to axe affordable housing from a £165m city centre redevelopment scheme in Winchester city centre have won planning approval.

Winchester council’s planning committee voted last Thursday to approve revised plans to revamp the rundown Silver Hill area.

The developer, a consortium of institutional investor Henderson and US teachers’ pension fund TIAA, had cut the number of homes it is planning to provide in the scheme from 287 to 177 dwellings.

TIAA Henderson also said it would not include any affordable housing but would contribute £1m towards funding such units elsewhere in order to provide a smaller number of larger units and extra retail floorspace.

The revised scheme also removes proposed social facilities like a youth centre and medical centre.

TIAA Henderson’s plans to remove affordable housing from the scheme sparked a protest march in Winchester last month.