AN exclusive deal between civic chiefs and a property developer over Winchester's multi-million-pound city centre facelift has expired.

But council bosses have revealed that they will continue talks with Thornfield Properties in a bid to make sure the £90m Broadway-Friarsgate area revamp is done just how they want it.

The so-called lock-out agreement was due to end this week, meaning that the council would be free to negotiate with other developers.

The vision would see dreary NHS buildings, warehouses and offices all swept away and the creation of a vibrant shopping area with up to 100 homes, a new bus station and possibly a hotel and nightclub instead.

The city council and Thornfield have signed a confidentiality agreement which prevents fully open discussion about the current situation.

Tony Langridge, the council's chief estates officer, said: "We are having lots of discussions with Thornfield. We recently took a paper to the Cabinet with an outline of their proposals. Those proposals are fairly loose at the moment and we will be looking to speak to them for some time longer.

"It is fair to say we are in meaningful discussion with the developer. They have very good architects working on it. They are talking in some detail with our planners because we are very concerned to get the right scheme."

Mr Langridge said he could not publicly say if the end of the lock-out agreement meant other developers were circling.

But he added: "We are working closely with Thornfield. So you can infer from that what you like. The council is not seeking to be discussing it with anybody else."