PEOPLE have given an overwhelmingly positive response to plans to renovate Southampton’s Royal Pier.

The consultation period has begun for the latest plans to transform the crumbling site into a thriving £400million development with a casino, five-star hotel, gourmet market and hundreds of homes.

A Spitfire soaring over a renovated Mayflower Park and bars, restaurants, hotels and shops along the waterfront could be the future according to the Royal Pier Waterfront development company (RPW).

The firm set up a gallery of images at the Royal Thai Pier restaurant and bar to show residents their vision for the waterfront and had staff on hand to answer any questions or explain in depth what could become of the run-down pier if they are successful.

The firm has already reached agreements with the site’s three landowners – the city council, Associated British Ports and the Crown Estate.

RPW spokesman Charles Forsyth said: “We’ve had a really positive reaction from the public so far. It’s been a long consultation process already as we held meetings last year but everyone seems quite excited by the prospect of having something like this here.

“I think Southampton needs something like this to drive more people to stay in the city, particularly cruise passengers, the Royal Pier could be one of the first things they see and we are very keen to make that something of interest with plenty of activities and venues on offer to keep them coming back.”

The Royal Pier renovation plans include about 730 apartments, 47,000sq metres of office space and between 40 and 50 shops, restaurants, cafes and bars running along the waterfront.

A gourmet “Epicurean market” offering top range produce would take its place next to a 250-bed, four or five-star hotel and spa and a large casino.

A new “hub” building could provide space for cultural, arts and technology uses and the site would also feature 2,000 car parking spaces, some of which will be built in basement car parks within land reclaimed from the River Test.

Proposals to improve Mayflower Park, which would see it become the home of a 98 ft high monument to the iconic Spitfire aircraft, would see it extended through the reclamation of land from the sea.

The park, which would become the new home for the PSP Southampton Boat Show, would be expanded by 50,500sq metres and feature a play area with an “interactive water feature”, a games area, a timber boardwalk and a cafe.

City council leader Simon Letts, said: “The Royal Pier site is the crown jewel of Southampton’s development future, it’s a major scheme for the whole of the South Coast.

"It will bring in approaching half a billion pounds in private investment when it is completed and it will completely change the city’s relationship with the waterfront.

“It’s the last piece of the jigsaw that links the city centre back to the waterfront.”