Winchester Guildhall. Inset: Cllr Neil Cutler THE political battle over Winchester City Council s latest budget surged on at a recent cabinet meeting. Councillors unanimously approved the spending plan – but not without heavy debate between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. Leader of the Tories on the council, Cllr Caroline Horrill, opened debate with a scathing review. She said: Yes it has been a tough year for everyone. Our council is still supporting the arts, grants to community groups, providing sports and leisure facilities and still working towards the climate emergency. Yet we still have strong reserves – but residents must pay at every turn.
UNCERTAINTY surrounds the ambitious project for a new sports pavilion at North Walls Rec. Last week the city council announced it was reviewing the scheme, saying the costs were getting too high. The city council issued a press release but within a couple of days it had been removed from the council website. The council said costs of the project has been increasing and it was now £100,000 over the available budget The Chronicle has tried to contact the community organisers based in the Hyde area. The Pavilion Project and AR Design are reported to be furious about the council s actions with solicitors being consulted.
IMPORTANT progress is being made on the move of the GP surgery in Winchester city centre. The city council has agreed to sell the leasehold of the Upper Brook Street car park to a specialist primary healthcare provider who will build the new St Clement s practice which has around 15,000 patients. Final negotiations will be undertaken before the sale goes through, the Cabinet heard. Civic chiefs worked with St Clements and the West Hampshire clinical commissioning group to select the developer, now revealed as Assura plc. St Clements has been working to relocate to the car park at Upper Brook Street for several years to replace its rapidly ageing building on Tanner Street.