Winchester City Council (WCC) has announced it is commissioning early-stage archaeological evaluation (trial trenching) as part of the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) programme, which will enable us to learn more about the history of this key site in central Winchester and also offer opportunities for local people to take part in some of the site activities.

The council is collaborating with Pre-Construct Archaeology (PCA,) based in Winchester, who will be working across four 8 -10m x 3m trenches – which will be between two and four metres deep – to investigate the city’s heritage below ground. These trenches will be dug in the central and eastern parts of the CWR site, areas where there is currently little information about the site’s historic uses.

The overall objectives of the evaluation process will be to

Identify and investigate significant (nineteenth-century or earlier) archaeological remains which are potentially affected by works connected with the proposed CWR redevelopment
Gain further information on the extent, date, character, state of preservation and significance at local, regional and national levels of these remains
Allow informed decisions to be taken about mitigation of the impact of redevelopment of the site

The works will aim to:

Identify and record the date and character of deposits and assess their potential to contain or conceal specific archaeological evidence
Record evidence of the Roman townscape, including street patterns
Record any evidence of the occupation in the early – mid Anglo-Saxon periods
Record evidence of the late Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval townscapes
Recover deposit samples to allow a study of the changing character of the environment and occupation on the site from the Roman period onwards
The works – which started this week – are expected to continue for approximately four months.

Throughout the duration of these works, local people will be able to learn more about what’s happening on site via a series of display information boards, as well as being offered the chance to view some of the work taking place in the archaeological trenches themselves through site tours and open mornings as well as from talks to local societies and the wider community by the archaeologists. ‘Pop-up’ labs – aimed at sharing some of the more technical aspects of the works, particularly with local university students and enlisted volunteers – will also be included.

Cllr Martin Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, says:

“I’m incredibly excited to see this work starting. Our city has such a rich record of its history and there’s been brilliant archaeological work over the years too – but there’s still so much more to learn. I know many of us share a strong interest in our city’s past and so I am delighted that PCA’s community event programme will give people the chance to find out more about the work they’re doing and this relatively under-researched part of Winchester.

But while many of us are fascinated by our past, we also must look to our future. These works also take us one step further towards regenerating one of the most rundown parts of our city – but doing so that reflects our pride in our city’s heritage and history.”

Paul McCulloch, Regional Manager from PCA says:

“We are delighted to be able to assist the Council in finding out about the archaeology of the CWR site and in providing information that will help toward its redevelopment. The site offers a special archaeological opportunity to investigate well-preserved remains of Winchester’s Roman, Anglo-Saxon, medieval and more recent past that can be used to help in the design and setting of its regeneration.”

Members of the public will get their first chance to learn more on 26 July at an online event where PCA will be sharing details of the programme, purpose of work, what’s been happening so far. PCA will be joined by a panel of archaeology experts (the CWR Archaeology Panel) who’ll join the discussion and be available for question. Following this, there will be opportunities for members of the public to visit the site and learn more. More information will be available on the city council’s website.

We’ve appointed Jigsaw Consortium trading as Partnerships & Places to bring forward the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) project in the city centre.

Following extensive public engagement and community consultation, the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) sets out a vibrant regeneration in a circa four-acre area of the city with a wide-ranging mix of uses including flexible work and creative spaces, food and drink offerings, a hotel and new high-quality public spaces. The proposals also include new homes to suit people of all life-stages, with a range of tenures available including private sale, homes for rent and affordable housing.

Committed to bringing social and economic value to the city, Jigsaw Consortium is a partnership between Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Limited (Kajima and Genr8 Developments) and PfP igloo (PfP Capital and igloo Regeneration.) The consortium has assembled its team from the best creative talent in the UK, including architectural practices, urban designers, engineers, landscape architects, and specialist archaeologists and is also committed to drawing in additional local expertise as the project develops. Collectively, the partnership has the vision, expertise, track-record, and financial means to work in partnership with the city council to deliver the benefits of the CWR project to Winchester and the district.

Jigsaw Consortium is committed to working closely with local people and businesses in Winchester throughout the life span of the project, bringing both social and economic value to the area.

John Long, development director at PfP igloo, said: “The whole Jigsaw Consortium team is truly honoured to have been selected as the council’s development partner for this project. We recognise the enormous responsibility and privilege that we have in bringing forward a development in such an historic city.  We, and the incredible talent in the design team we have assembled for this project, will work tirelessly to make it a success.”

Tamsin Traill, regeneration director at Genr8 Kajima Regeneration, added: “We are excited to be working with Winchester City Council to deliver this extremely important project.  The newly formed consortium is a collaboration between market experts in social and sustainable development and will ensure that we are able to deliver a truly special place within Winchester.”

Our vision for Central Winchester Regeneration, as set out in the supplementary planning document (SPD,) is for a mixed-use, sustainable, pedestrian-friendly quarter that reflects the distinctive character of the city centre, set within attractive open spaces.  Working with a development partner, the council is proposing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver a wider choice of shops, restaurants, cafés, and office and creative spaces across the centre of Winchester alongside new homes, community, cultural and public spaces.The regeneration site includes Kings Walk, Friarsgate and the bus station, as set out in the approved SPD.

The Jigsaw team will support the council in bringing significant benefits to everyone living and working in and around our district.

Having listened to local people through the consultation on the development proposals for the site, we are bringing sustainable high quality homes for local people, creative work spaces, shops, hotel, leisure facilities and improved public spaces that will better connect the area to the wider city and district. The proposals will not compete with what Winchester already has, but will be distinctive and add to it.

The regeneration will boost footfall in the city centre as a whole and spending among shoppers, while new cultural and hotel facilities will enhance Winchester’s reputation both in the UK and globally, allowing the city and wider district to become a more attractive destination and a hub for people and businesses across the South of England. 

17 February 2022

Winchester City Council will be launching the procurement process for a development partner for the regeneration of a significant area in the centre of Winchester on 17 March 2022.

The transformation of this key part of Winchester aims to bring significant benefits to people living and working in and around the district, including the delivery of flexible workspace, retail and leisure facilities, high quality homes and an attractive public realm.

This announcement follows the council’s decision to proceed with plans to regenerate the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) area and realise the redevelopment of the bus station, Kings Walk, the old Friarsgate Medical Centre and Coitbury House.  The vision, as set out in the agreed CWR Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), is for a vibrant, mixed-use destination which is highly sustainable, reducing reliance on cars in the city centre whilst adding to Winchester’s already rich and varied heritage and cultural offer.

Proposals for the redevelopment of the CWR site have already been prepared in conjunction with JLL and Arup.  JLL will continue to support the council on the detailed delivery of the procurement process over the coming months.  The approach is underpinned by a massing study, cost plan and viability assessment to ensure that the investment objectives are viable and deliverable.

Cllr Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, said: “The regeneration of central Winchester represents a fantastic opportunity and sends out a strong message to the UK investor community that we mean business.  After many years of detailed and fruitful public consultation, the council and the public have demonstrated a shared vision and our joint ambition to drive forward this transformational opportunity.

“Winchester now has the opportunity to ‘reinvent’ itself as a place that will be more attractive to investors and occupiers, adapting for the twenty-first century, while expanding its cultural offer.  As part of our aspiration for the city, we will be seeking a partner with the right skills, resources, commitment, approach and a proven track record with similar projects, to deliver our vision and investment objectives for the development of central Winchester.  There has never been a better time to live, work or invest in Winchester.”

Jennifer Newsham, Director of JLL, said: “Having worked closely with the city council to support its aspirations to create a vision for the regeneration of central Winchester, we are excited to bring this extremely attractive site to the market to secure a long-term development partner.  Winchester currently represents one of the most exciting development opportunities in the UK.  It is a city with a fundamentally strong market and an established base of talented people and businesses to build on.  It is also a place that will – with further investment at an appropriate scale – continue to attract new talent and different types of businesses.”

Paul Spencer, Executive Director of Winchester Business Improvement District (BID), an organisation working with over 700 businesses in Winchester city centre, across a broad range of sectors, said: “The response from our members has been overwhelmingly positive – there is a clear support and enthusiasm from the Winchester business community to move forward and we are extremely excited to be at the stage we are now as a city. We look forward to seeing Winchester take the next steps towards realising the potential of this key city centre site, which will be important to the city, district and wider region.”

Laura Taylor, Chief Executive of Winchester City Council said: “This is a great opportunity for a development partner to support the council in achieving a truly significant transformation of the centre of Winchester. 

“Like many cities in the UK, we are having to address the challenges of reshaping our built environment to meet the needs of the 21^st century.  Our plans for CWR focus on sustainable development, encouraging reductions in our carbon footprint and helping to make Winchester an exemplar of carbon and environmental management.  The proposals also serve to integrate city centre living with new workspace and a greatly enhanced retail offer, while seeking to encourage young people to stay in Winchester by offering employment opportunities and creating a more vibrant night-time economy.  This will result in a significantly improved commercial and cultural offer in the city and we would ask any interested development partner to get in touch and find out how they can be a part of our continuing success story.”

7 March 2022

Veryan Lyons, Head of Programme, Central Winchester Regeneration Opportunity

The UK’s heritage cities are at the intersection of two worlds.

Deeply rooted in rich history and culture, they also require sensitive regeneration to create places that local people can enjoy and where business can thrive.  Some are embarking upon a transition from traditional retail models; others are tackling the fact that demographic shifts have left younger people priced out of housing and lacking in opportunity.

Reimagining our heritage cities offers us a way to future-proof them and this involves addressing a unique set of challenges.

It is important to consider how regenerating a heritage city aligns with the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda.  The Government’s pathway sets out wide-ranging goals for more equitable distribution of opportunities and investment, to boost underperforming regions through a ‘virtuous circle of agglomeration’ where towns benefit from skilled people, flourishing businesses, good transport links and housing.  Historic cities can be relatively prosperous due to their tourism offer but may often still be striving for the same goals as cities which have been decimated by the loss of a major industrial, retail or commercial base.  The ability of all types of cities to reinvent themselves depends on how they adapt to shifting trends and future requirements.

Historic cities as drivers of regional economic growth

We fully understand the pivotal role of heritage cities as conduits for growth and long-term economic prosperity within the context of their wider regions.  Chichester, Durham, Winchester and similar cathedral cities face the challenge of delivering redevelopment projects that are able to replace such losses but also remain thoughtfully aligned with – and complementary to – the historical, protected nature of the built environment.  Durham is a much-loved cathedral city that also acts as the centre for the surrounding area.  The city is more affluent than the wider county but for it to remain a driver of growth, it is looking to revitalise its centre, not least to compensate for the loss of retail it has experienced in recent years.  Likewise, when Winchester thrives, the benefits are felt across the district.

We are seeking to address the pressing regeneration needs of places that were designed for earlier centuries and which now aim to provide workspaces, housing and social spaces for a new generation of residents, workers and visitors.  In Winchester, the huge changes we have seen in working patterns – particularly in the wake of the pandemic – towards flexible and sustainable workspaces supported by modern infrastructure have prompted a rethinking of how outdated areas of the city, often built in the sixties and seventies, can be reinvented to match the requirements of a very different world.  Over the last five years we have worked closely with residents and businesses – they support this rethinking and we have been moving steadily ahead to address their needs via a shared vision.

A challenge which arises again and again is how to provide sufficient, affordable housing to attract young people into heritage cities and encourage students to stay for the long term.  A city like Winchester needs more city centre housing, including homes targeted specifically at young people, key workers and families.  Other councils face different issues. 

Heritage cities are, due to their relative affluence, less likely to access government funding than cities which are seen to be more deprived or visibly in decline.  One solution is to seek a like-minded delivery partner sensitive to the needs of a heritage city, the ambitions of the younger generation and demands of residents for more sustainable living.  We’ve been deploying this method in the hope of enabling a 2,000-year-old city to face up to the challenges of the 21^st century and overcoming them through considered and strategic long-term investment in the built environment.  Winchester is currently seeking to revitalise its city centre and diversify the existing mix of uses with a 3.68-acre regeneration scheme.

A sustainable future

With decarbonisation a key national priority, heritage cities need to think about reducing emissions while continuing to remain dependent on large numbers of visitors every year.

Residents, occupiers and investors are increasingly conscious of sustainability criteria.  JLL’s ‘Property Predictions 2020 Investor Survey Results’ notes that around 70% of investors believe that sustainability and climate change will have the greatest long-term impact on UK real estate with key drivers being higher occupancy and rents, tenant retention and long-term value preservation and creation.  And a growing number of employees (almost four out of ten according to some findings) are placing the sustainability practices of organisations under scrutiny in the war to win – and retain – talent, with millennials in particular suggesting that their job choice was influenced by an employer’s sustainability policy. 

Buildings – and cities – which are not sustainable cannot deliver long-term returns and community benefits.  Sustainable regeneration and repurposing are crucial for heritage cities to contribute to the bigger ‘levelling up’ picture.

The effective functioning of heritage cities as hubs for a wider area is also linked to improved public transport.  This in turn can deliver environmental benefits, as can measures to extend pedestrianisation to drive tourism and access to natural public spaces.  In setting the foundations for a sustainable future, there are further intricacies and challenges involved in updating historic buildings with modern, smart technologies and systems while still respecting the historical backdrop of the city.

Heritage city regeneration benefits people and areas beyond the immediate community affected by development.  Nonetheless, it requires a strong understanding of the issues facing a particular city together with a development partner prepared to collaborate closely with a local authority in responding to the specific challenges of conserving the past while simultaneously investing in the future.

7 March 2022

Winchester City Council has appointed architects Studio Multi to take forward plans focusing on the upgrade of the Kings Walk Shopping Arcade in the centre of the city. 

The team, led by Studio Multi, which will include architects, landscape architects, lighting and graphic designers, has been selected from a shortlist of proposals aimed at breathing new life into the outdated arcade.  The plans will focus on improving retail frontages along Middle Brook Street and Silver Hill, finding an innovative use for the flank wall of the adjacent Friarsgate car park and creating opportunities to improve the open spaces across this key area of the city centre, which is also home to the Nutshell Theatre. 

This approach will result in clear plans to improve the existing public realm and introduce imaginative wayfinding throughout the shopping arcade, making it easier to navigate between different parts of the city centre.

The proposals are currently being worked up in detail by Studio Multi.  They will present a design that aims to attract more creative, independent businesses to the centre of Winchester.  The design will also encourage street artists and performers to activate the reconfigured public spaces in ways which are both engaging and entertaining for all those accessing the Kings Walk Arcade. 

The upgrade will be delivered through a ‘meanwhile use’ application across an area covering some 1,770 square metres.  This will revitalise the area in the short term whilst a procurement process to appoint a development partner for the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) Opportunity is underway.  The delivery of the CWR Opportunity will ultimately result in the transformation and improvement of a larger part of the city centre, including Kings Walk, Friarsgate and Silver Hill.

Studio Multi’s approach is focusing on:

Nicola Rutt, Director of Studio Multi, said: “We are excited about working with Winchester City Council to revitalise this key part of the city.  Our team combines a range of different design skills which will allow us to create a far more inviting and positive series of spaces than currently exists as well as make a significant contribution to improving the overall character and appearance of the area.  We are also delivering our proposals in a way which seeks to improve opportunities for traders as much as for visitors, while engaging local creative organisations in the design process.  Our particular emphasis is on revitalising the open spaces of Kings Walk and turning them into usable extensions of indoor spaces, not least in response to the increasing demand for such areas in the wake of the pandemic.”

Cllr Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management said: “While the longer-term plans for the transformation of central Winchester take shape, it is really important to introduce interim ways of making the city centre more attractive to local people and visitors, as well as addressing the reasons for some of the anti-social behaviour which, sadly, currently affects Kings Walk.  This is a great opportunity to give a short-term boost to the look and feel of our city centre and encourage growth of the active creative and cultural community in our area.”

Winchester City Council recently announced that it will be launching the procurement process for a development partner for the regeneration of Winchester city centre, which includes Kings Walk, Middle Brook Street and Silver Hill.  The wider transformation of this key part of Winchester aims to bring significant long-term benefits to people living and working in and around the district, including the delivery of flexible workspace, retail and leisure facilities, high quality homes and an attractive public realm.