THE gloves are off in the battle of the developers over a prime chunk of Winchester city centre.

London & Henley has unveiled its plans to redevelop its site in Middle Brook Street with shops and homes.

The company is at loggerheads with Thornfield Properties which, with the city council, is planning to redevelop the Silver Hill area, including London & Henley's plot.

Some 300 people attended a three-day exhibition, explaining London & Henley's proposals, in the Brooks Centre.

London & Henley's managing director, Nigel Wright, denied that the Middle Brook Street scheme was a ploy to increase the value of the holding.

Mr Wright said: "We are long-term investors.

"We don't sell things. We have interests in Winchester worth £40m. We are here to create more value.

"I'll look you in the eye, we really want to do this. They will have to carry me out in a coffin if they want to stop us."

If the city council rejects his scheme, Mr Wright has vowed to appeal and also threatened legal action which could delay the scheme for years.

He also promised to fight any application by Thornfield or the council for a compulsory purchase order.

Mr Wright said it was not too late for a joint venture between the two developers.

The London & Henley scheme differs from Thornfield's in that it proposes underground car parking, enabling architects to reduce the overall height of the buildings, one of the main criticisms of Thornfield's plans.

Thornfield proposes to build 13 shops, 133 homes - 40 per cent affordable - 162 parking spaces and a series of landscaped gardens with a mix of public and private use. It hopes to submit a planning application soon.

Most people attending the show were concerned for the future of the doctors' surgeries and bus station, which are outside the area of the Middle Brook Street scheme.

Marion Lambert said: "It looks quite good. I would like to see another supermarket as competition for Sainsbury's."