THE future of a flagship Hampshire waterfront development will come under the spotlight today.

Business owners will join Southampton Itchen MP John Denham in meeting council officials to press for action to improve the fortunes of Ocean Village.

It comes 18 months after the politician led a delegation of residents and traders to the city council to highlight concerns about the impact of the abandoned Admirals Quay development.

Businesses were worried that the unattractiveness of the unfinished project and dangerous hoardings were contributing to a drop-off in trade.

But Mr Denham said nothing has changed since.

He said: “We’ve seen 18 months of inaction from the Tory Council.

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“We don’t have much access to the waterfront in Southampton, so we should be making the most of what we’ve got. I will be pushing the council to take action and improve the fortunes of Ocean Village.”

Southampton City Council leader, Cllr Royston Smith hit back last night, saying the authority has done everything it possibly could for the area.

Homes giant Wilson Bowden stopped work on Admirals Quay – which replaced the old Canute’s Pavilion development – in June 2008 because of sluggish sales and fears the market for newbuild apartments in the city had become saturated.

Initially touted as a rival to the popular Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, just three of its planned five blocks and two of ten shops and bars had been completed.

Ambitious plans for a landmark £50m 13-storey glass-sided hotel were also put on hold later that year, while opposite the entrance to Ocean Village a third development, Crescent Apartments, was abandoned half-finished due to financial difficulties.

Cllr Smith said: “The Linden development is almost finished, Barratt will be back on site to complete their work in the spring, MDL (Marine Developments Limited), who are going to build the hotel, have been in touch to say they’re still interested and are looking for a developer.

“We did something about the hoardings, put a coffee shop in the sales office, and Calshot Spit has now been moved so that’ll be worked on properly.

“All the things we have said we’re going to do we have done or are going to do, but what John Denham needs to understand, but is choosing not to, is that we don’t own the land, we’re not developers, contractors or financiers.

“All we can do is meet with all the operators as often as we can and tell them we would like them to get on with it as soon as possible.

“Nothing has changed, because we still don’t own the land.”