Winchester businesses have expressed doubts to the city planning boss over the £100m Broadway-Friarsgate scheme.

Jim Sawyer, chairman of the local chamber of commerce, argues that the development

does not provide enough commercial and office space.

The proposed complex will feature 41 shops, 350 flats, new medical centres and a bus station.

Winchester City Council is to draw up a binding agreement with developers Thornfield Properties next Wednesday.

However, business leaders yesterday spoke out about the development during a presentation of the scheme by Paul Appleton of architects Allies and Morrison.

The development, will take four years to complete, with building work starting as early as 2007.

The council is prepared to exercise compulsory purchasing powers to obtain the freehold on all the land.

It believes the scheme will improve the vitality of the city centre in the face of increased competition from other shopping centres such as WestQuay in Southampton and Festival Place in Basingstoke.

Robin Cooper, director of development services at the city council, said the development would complement rather than rival the High Street.

He said that business space was not encouraged in the planning brief but that the city council may review this in the light of representations from businesses.

Stuart Mariner, chairman of Winchester City Centre Partnership, asked what assurances the council and developers would give that the four-year construction period would not blight the existing city centre economy.

Those who remember the building of the Brooks shopping centre in the late 1980s will recall the chronic traffic congestion and general disruption.

Mr Cooper said its phased nature meant disruption would be kept to a manageable and minimum level.