Winchester City Council has taken a major step forward by agreeing a significant milestone in the delivery of Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR). 

At the city council’s Cabinet meeting, it agreed the updated CWR business case, which will now allow the council’s development partner, Jigsaw by Partnerships and Places, to submit its planning application by the end of this year. 

The regeneration of central Winchester represents a once in a generation opportunity to transform rundown areas of the city centre into a vibrant mixed-use area, which will provide over 200 new homes, over 3,500 square metres of commercial space and 6,600 square metres of new public squares, streets and routes, creating vibrant public spaces, enhanced bus infrastructure and a greener, more accessible city centre. 

Cllr Martin Tod, Leader of Winchester City Council, said: “At a time when development projects across the country are being cancelled or put on hold, I’m delighted that we are able to move ahead. 

“It’s a great scheme: stunning public spaces, attractive buildings, well-connected, pedestrian friendly – all with the highest environmental standards; bringing together a blend of homes, workspaces, culture and public areas in a way that is truly Winchester. 

“Throughout we’ve been guided by our duty to our city and our district: how can we make our city stronger and the wider area stronger, with a scheme that is supported by local people. 

“Others are stopping or delaying their plans.  I know some want us to stop and start all over again.  But most people want us to get on with it.   Winchester has waited long enough.  It’s time to move ahead.” 

Central Winchester Regeneration strengthens Winchester’s position as one of the UK’s most attractive and sustainable historic cities, and the updated business case confirms that the project continues to provide strong value for money. 

Since March 2025, Jigsaw by Partnerships & Places has delivered an extensive programme of community engagement and consultation events across Winchester and the wider district, and those conversations and feedback continue to influence the planning application which will be submitted later this year. 

Matt Woolgar, Development Director at igloo, said: “Reaching this milestone is a significant moment for Central Winchester Regeneration and another important step towards bringing the plans to life. It gives us the mandate to keep moving forward with purpose – working alongside the Council, our partners, local businesses, residents and wider stakeholders as we progress towards submitting a planning application later this year. 

“As lead partner within the Jigsaw development partnership, we remain fully committed to delivering a scheme that is ambitious, deliverable and deeply rooted in Winchester. From the outset, our focus has been on creating a new city quarter that respects the city’s extraordinary heritage and character while bringing forward the homes, workspaces and improved public realm needed to support a more vibrant, sustainable and accessible city centre. 

“We know how much this part of Winchester matters to people, and that is why the engagement and feedback we have received continue to shape the proposals. With the business case now approved, our focus is firmly on progressing a well-considered planning application that delivers lasting benefits for Winchester, while continuing to work with the Council to evolve the wider scheme and explore what more could be unlocked through future phases.” 

Winchester City Council expects to receive a planning application from Jigsaw by Partnerships & Places by the end of this year. It will be considered by the council in its role as the Local Planning Authority, and will follow the normal planning processes, which includes public consultation. 

Local people across Winchester and the surrounding district are invited to attend the next phase of community engagement for the Central Winchester Regeneration site. 

We’ll be hosting six sessions throughout June and showcasing detailed plans for phase one of the regeneration, expected to begin on site in 2027.  

The events are free to attend and no booking is required. Just drop in to any of the following locations: 

City centre: 

The Nutshell, 15 Kings Walk, Winchester SO23 8AF 

Across the district: 

Tuesday 16th June, 1-5pm  

Wednesday 17th June, 12-4pm 

Thursday 18th June, 11am –3pm 

What to expect: 

Visitors will be able to view new exhibition boards and CGI artist impressions, showing the updated plans for the phase one site. The plans will also show how feedback shared by local people during the previous community engagement in February and March, has helped to shape the evolving designs.  

The project team will be on hand throughout the events to take attendees behind the design process – showing how the project has evolved from early hand-drawn concepts through to detailed architectural proposals – and answer any questions you may have. You can also meet and speak with our award-winning architecture and design team from Henley Halebrown, Peter Barber Architects and East Architecture Landscape Urban Design, alongside consultants from Stantec, Momentum and Montagu Evans. 

Can’t attend in person? 

If you can’t make it down to one of the sessions, don’t worry – all exhibition materials will be available on our website following the events. Just check back here for all the details.

You can also sign up via the contact form at the bottom of our website to keep up to date with all the latest information on the Central Winchester Regeneration site.  

Have a question or feedback to share? Reach out via email to info@partnershipsandplaces.co.uk – we’re keen to hear from as many local people as possible.  

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.”