A DEVELOPER has weighed in with a revised plan for multi-million pound redevelopment of Winchester City centre.

London and Henley (Winchester) wants to derail its rival Thornfield's £100m scheme for Broadway-Friarsgate.

L&H wrote to the city council asking for three months to allow it to draw up its own scheme..

Nigel Wright, a director of L&H which owns some of the land earmarked for development, said: "Our desire is to see the very best for the city."

But angry city councillors went into secret session last night. They voted to back the agreement with Thornfield which will see the heart of Winchester transformed, with new shops, 364 new homes, a doctors surgery, a new public space, a river walkway and a new bus station.

The site takes in much of the land between Lower and Middle Brook Street including the multi-storey car park and the existing bus station.

The current deal would see the authority use compulsory purchase orders to get a freehold of the site, with Thornfield starting work on the four-year build early in 2007. Today Tory councillor George Hollingbery said a short delay to consider the rival bid would have been sensible.