A NEW multi-million-pound "super library" is finally being proposed for Winchester in one of the biggest schemes in Britain.

Hampshire County Council is poised to launch the scheme to replace the libraries on Jewry Street and North Walls.

The £7 million scheme envisages a prominent four-storey building on Sussex Street on the gravel car park next to the Hampshire Record Office.

It would be more than a library, also featuring a 'supermarket of services' such as IT, adult learning, a performing arts space, auditorium, careers information, caf, toilets and creche. Opening hours would be increased into the evenings and possibly Sundays.

The council is calling it a 'discovery centre', a new-style of library for the 21st century offering more than the traditional lending of books and aimed at attracting the young and poor.

The cost of the scheme would be part-financed by the sale of the grade two listed building in Jewry Street, the former Corn Exchange and lending library since 1936, and the reference library on North Walls. The latter is fast deteriorating and would be demolished for homes or offices.

Yinnon Ezra, director of recreation and heritage, said: "Books are still going to be the core of what the library does. We are not getting rid of books. We are not disenfranchising the traditional user. We are trying to engage a new generation of users. We are passionate about this.

"This is a really exciting opportunity. It is about making what is an important community facility robust and relevant for the 21st century. It is not dumbing down."

Mr Ezra said the Sussex Street site was much more accessible than traffic-plagued Jewry Street.

"I know this may be controversial but if you think of the development in Winchester in five to ten years in terms of Barton Farm, the centre of gravity of the town is moving."

The Jewry Street library is visited by 275,000 people a year. Mr Ezra said he expected the new library to be much more popular, with book issues predicted "to double, if not treble."

Richard Ward, the head of libraries, said people were no longer prepared to put up with the shabby reference library, which would cost £1 million just to repair.

The news brings an end to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the city centre libraries.

As far back as 1999 the county council proposed redeveloping Jewry Street but the city council which owns the adjacent car park opposed the loss of parking.

County council leader Ken Thornber said: "The proposed Sussex Street site is the only viable city centre option and with the record office located next door will enable us to build links between the library and archives services."

The new plans are set to be agreed by the county council Cabinet on June 23.

A public consultation will be held to develop ideas for services in the new library.

Once planning permission is obtained, building work could start in 2004 with completion in around 2006.

The plan is operating under the working title of Winchester Cultural Centre. A public competition will be held to suggest a better name.