Winchester City Council has appointed our Planning, Development and Regeneration team to prepare a Retail, Leisure and Town Centre Uses Study to support the Winchester City Council Local Plan 2036.

The study will underpin strategic retail, commercial, leisure and tourism policies for the new Local Plan, and will assist the Council in making informed choices on the optimum scale, mix and location of new retail and leisure growth across the district in the future.

Blathnaid Duffy, Director of Planning, Development & Regeneration at LSH, said:

"It is no secret that our town centres and high streets are facing challenging times as a result of rising costs and shifting consumer behaviour.

“Winchester has a unique set of characteristics, most notably its historic buildings. This, together with its independent shopping scene, makes it a key tourist destination, attracting over four million visitors each year.

“However, the city is not immune to the aforementioned challenges and our study will ensure that and future investment decisions are based on a clear understanding of its current strengths and weaknesses.

LSH will submit its findings to Winchester City Council towards the end of 2019.

Collectively, the our Planning, Development and Regeneration team has advised on over 50 retail and town centre studies across the United Kingdom in the last five years, with a combined experience spanning over 100 years.

Image: Winchester City centre High Street at night during mid-summer (Shutterstock)