We were pleased to welcome more than 170 residents, stakeholders and local businesses to our latest engagement event held across late February and early March. 

These events offered a relaxed environment for the community to speak directly with the team shaping the project – including members of our architectural team responsible for the innovative design of the new quarter.  

Meeting the team behind the Central Winchester Regeneration 

The events encouraged the community to share their thoughts, ask questions, and discuss what matters most to them as we develop plans to breathe new life into the city centre. They also offered an opportunity for people to meet the award‑winning architects in person, learn more about the design process, and gain insights into the wider architectural journey. 

We created a series of exhibition boards that brought the project to life and shared original sketches and drawings to illustrate the development journey so far. The boards set out our vision for transforming the area and showcased the progress made to date, including the latest artist impressions of what the scheme could look like, transport routes, pedestrian areas and visual landscaping and green spaces. 

We’re creating a new neighbourhood shaped directly by the local community, and we genuinely take feedback on board to ensure we’re building a place centred around people, celebrating the city’s heritage, and underpinned by sustainability. 

A focus on placemaking and sustainability 

The Central Winchester Regeneration represents a major opportunity within Winchester’s historic city centre.  

Our early concepts for the scheme include approximately 6,000 sq ft of flexible commercial and creative workspaces, new food and drink destinations and an improved public realm with accessible green spaces. The vision also includes 250 tenure-diverse homes, designed to suit people at all stages of life, helping to support a vibrant and inclusive new community as the area evolves. 

We’d love to hear from you 

Thanks to everyone who came down, it was great to see such positivity and constructive feedback in the room. We’re another step forwards in progressing the project as we look to submit a planning application later in the year.   

Throughout the project, we’re always looking for your thoughts, as we shape the project around the local community.  

If you couldn’t make this engagement event, don’t worry – you can view and download the display boards here:  

A programme of community engagement events will take place as part of the Central Winchester Regeneration project, a vibrant mixed-use quarter designed for local communities. The events will give residents and stakeholders multiple opportunities to contribute their views and ideas ahead of a planning application later this year. 

In collaboration with Winchester City Council, the events are being delivered by Jigsaw by Partnerships & Places, the development partnership responsible for the regeneration project. Sustainable developer igloo Regeneration, a partner in Jigsaw, is leading the project and brings extensive experience in people-focused regeneration across the UK. 

The programme of engagement events is scheduled to run throughout February, June and late 2026. Designed with placemaking in mind, feedback collected from the events will help to inform the design of the site and, in turn, shape the future of the city. 

The first of these events will take place on: 

The Courtyard, Guildhall Winchester, The Broadway, Winchester, SO23 9GH 

The Nutshell, Kings Walk, Winchester, SO23 8AF 

These sessions will provide local residents and businesses with the opportunity to keep informed of the progress and ask the team firsthand any questions they may have. Attendees can also expect to see a series of display boards and artist impressions that give an early indication of the types of spaces the project will create, with members of the development partnership and design team available to answer questions and discuss plans. 

Central Winchester Regeneration is set to unlock a new wave of potential for the city, creating a sustainable pedestrian-led quarter that reflects Winchester’s distinctive character and heritage. The new creative quarter will offer flexible work and creative spaces, food and drink options, and plenty of public spaces. To support this emerging business community, the vision includes a wide variety of tenure-diverse homes suitable for people at all stages of life. 

Cllr Martin Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, said: “I think people will be excited at how much progress is being made on this project. It will transform the rundown parts of our city. We are aiming to sign off this summer, allowing Jigsaw to make a planning application by the end of the year. All the way through, the input of local people has been critical to the development of these proposals. I hope as many people as possible take this opportunity to meet the design team and have their questions answered.” 

Matt Woolgar, development director at igloo Regeneration, said: “We are fully committed to the Central Winchester Regeneration project, delivered in partnership with Winchester City Council, and are pleased to be progressing with the next phase of engagement. 

“These events are a valuable opportunity for local people to contribute to the scheme, with representatives from the development partnership on hand to answer questions and hear feedback. As we move towards a planning application at the end of the year, we’ll continue working closely with the community and embedding our People, Place and Planet principles throughout the development. 

“We’re excited to see the project advance and to help shape a vibrant new future for Winchester City Centre.”