RESIDENTS have given a mixed reception to plans that would radically change the face of Southampton's waterfront.

An exhibition outlining the £350m regeneration scheme of the former VT boatyard in Woolston was put on display at St Mark's Institute yesterday with a model of how the 35-acre site could look.

People were impressed with the overall look of the project but there were complaints about a variety of issues.

Some were worried about the extra traffic the development would bring while others felt it was a missed opportunity to bring a Southampton heritage centre to the site.

Architects have tried to create a bustling new centre for Woolston, created by extending Victoria Road down to the riverside.

Next to the water would be a public square, which would have a library on one side and dramatic modern art dominating its centre.

Actual details have yet to be decided by architects - the world-renowned Richard Rogers Partnership.

They will be hammered out following the two-day consultation before a planning application is submitted to the council in April this year.

Richard Rogers Partnership director Andrew Morris said: "We are very pleased. We have ended up with a really good mix on the scheme."

Other plans for the site include building up to 1,500 homes and facilities for the maritime industry, which could provide as many as 1,000 jobs.

Three huge towers of glass and steel - the largest reaching up to 12 storeys - complete the picture, forming a gateway to Southampton.

Regular markets and public art exhibitions are also likely to be features of the regenerated centre.

The South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) bought the former VT site for an estimated £15m in March 2003.

SEEDA head of land and property Ken Glendinning said comments from local residents had been positive so far.

Southampton Itchen MP John Denham, who attended the exhibition yesterday, hailed the plans as exciting. He said: "I think the overall concept is very good but my campaign is to get as much affordable housing for local people as possible. It needs to be somewhere where local people can live."

The exhibition was due to be open again today at St Mark's Institute, Victoria Road, Woolston, Southampton, from 9.30am to midday.