Winchester is still set to become a ghost town for the dawn of the new millennium.

Despite expectations earlier this year of applications flooding in by August for street parties and public celebrations, the only activity is likely to be around the cathedral.

The city council has received no requests for New Year's Eve street parties and the centre of Winchester is expected to come to a complete standstill for almost three days.

Most of the main shops will close early on December 31 and will not re-open again until January 3 for the New Year sales.

Dozens of pubs and restaurants will also remain closed on New Year's Eve, with others catering for exclusive private parties.

"We have had nothing like the flood of applications we had anticipated," said the city council's principal legal officer, Tony Waitt.

"All we have had to date is about four applications for low-scale millennium events, mainly in the southern parishes, later next year.

"We did expect a lot of applications for parties and frolics, but there are no big events that we are aware of."

But Mr Waitt emphasised that there was still just about time for people planning to hold a street party to get an application in.

Requests for road closure orders associated with a street party must be made in writing to special events officer Sally Edwards at the council offices in Colebrook Street.

City centre manager Richard Nash said the lack of events in Winchester over the millenni-um new year period appeared to be in line with the general pattern across Hampshire.

"I have talked to other town managers around the county and it does seem as if it is going to be a very subdued time."

Peter Greensmith, president of the Win-chester Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he was not surprised by the lack of millennium events in the city.

"I think most people with be spending the millennium at home with their families rather going out and about," he added.

However, for those who do want to join others in the celebrations, Winchester Cathedral will be holding a special late night service on December 31 to welcome the new century.

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