Name for Central Winchester Regeneration area announced
The future vision for Winchester’s city centre has been officially named. Winchester City Council today announced that the new name for the Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) area will be Saxon Gate.
The new name is announced at a time of significant progress for the redevelopment project which will create a vibrant new retail, cultural and heritage heart in this part of the city centre set within an exceptional public realm.
The council has now completed the purchase of all land from the previous landowner (Henderson) and is moving forward with its proposals to revitalise and transform the area which includes the bus station, Friarsgate medical centre, Kings Walk and the Friarsgate car park.
Members of the public were given the chance to give their suggestions for the new name as part of the consultation process in 2018 and through a social media campaign more recently. From this a list of potential names was put forward with many suggestions taking inspiration from the history of the area.
Cllr Caroline Horrill, Leader of the Council and Chair of the CWR Committee, said:
“This new name marks a fresh start for this hugely exciting project. We were delighted to share our road map for delivery last month and now, with the latest land acquisitions in place, we are progressing at pace.
The new name for the area draws from history, tradition and heritage and we can’t wait to make it part of Winchester’s exciting future.”
Over the years the area included for redevelopment has had various names, with the most well-known being Silver Hill.