A HUGE question mark is hanging over plans to give Totton town centre a £22m facelift, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Transport chiefs are back at square one after they were forced to abandon an attempt to obtain a massive government grant for the scheme.

Totton councillors have been warned that long-awaited improvements are unlikely to start for at least another two years - even if money becomes available.

Proposals include a town square, a link road and a tree-lined boulevard - but individual elements of the scheme have yet to be costed.

County council chiefs were on the brink of applying for government funds earlier this year.

As reported in the Daily Echo, they were forced to think again after a meeting with representatives from the Department for Transport and the Government Office for the South East.

Now transport policy team leader Jonathan Crabb has confirmed that no bid will be made this year.

He told members of Totton and Eling Town Council's planning committee: "The officials advised us that considerably more work needs to be done. They want to know what impact the scheme will have on the surrounding road network."

Mr Crabb said the proposed bid would have cost £500,000 to prepare and submit, but would not have stood a realistic chance of success.

He added: "A report will be submitted to the executive member for environment, Keith Estlin, who will make a decision on how we can progress the scheme.

"It's a good scheme and remains a high priority for the county council."

Councillor Steve Shepherd compared the scheme with a desert mirage that disappeared when approached.

He added: "The town centre we've got now stems from bad planning in the 1960s. We need improvements, but it looks as if we'll have to wait forever, because there's always something that's deemed to be more important."