PLANS to build flats on the site of Winchester's Trinity Centre have been given a mixed reception by neighbouring residents.

About 40 people attended a meeting about the move of the drop-in centre from St Paul's Hill in Fulflood to Durngate.

The present site would be developed for social housing. The centre, which supports people with problems, such as homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction, would move to the former Red Cross base near the police station.

The city council has given them a 99-year lease on the building in Durngate.

The development will be funded by the sale of the St Paul's Hill site to Testway Housing which wants to build flats for rent.

But residents who viewed the architects plans at the meeting last week expressed concern that the site was too dense.

Peter Talbot, of Stockbridge Road, asked what kind of people would be housed on the site and whether it was likely to attract as much opposition as other recent "social housing" proposals in the city

Nick Fry, of Testway, said the plan was to build 13 units - five one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom flats catering for mixed housing needs including key workers, such as the police, teachers, and the fire brigade. The maximum number of residents it could house is 35.

He said the scheme was not "supported housing" but for people who simply could not afford to buy in Winchester, where property prices were so high.

A planning application is expected within a month. Anna Peebles, of St Paul's Hill, said: "It's too high a density for this area and extremely unattractive.''

Mrs Peebles added that the building was too high and would overshadow her garden taking light away.

"I don't think they've consulted enough before coming up with the plan and I don't think it will pass," she said.

City councillor Dominic Hiscock, also at the meeting, said: "The density is within planning guidelines. It's a key priority to provide more affordable housing. I'm delighted the Trinity Centre have tackled it in this way by speaking to residents."