RESIDENTS in a Hampshire city are calling for council chiefs to ensure their voices are heard when it comes to building a £35m leisure centre.

Council chiefs in Winchester hope the new facility to replace the crumbling River Park Leisure Centre will be built in Bar End at the Garrison Ground by 2020.

At the Bar End Forum it was heard how the deal that has been struck between Tesco who owned the playing field at Bar End and Winchester City Council.

This means there is now an option to build the leisure centre on the Garrison Ground which was the preferred option of residents, who have feared that the centre would be built on the on the King George V fields.

Residents and councillors have called for a “masterplan” to be created for whole area and the new leisure centre to be included in that.

Highcliffe forum member Chris Allen said that previous consultations with the city council were not carried out and said future ones need to be done properly.

City councillor Ian Tait asked what the plan is for the Chilcomb House which is owned by Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Cllr Tait said: “There are rumours that they want to do something else with it, they need to come out and say what they are going to do.

“If you do not know that this will be an incomplete process, and this process could be derailed by another interested land owner.”

Despite the news about Tesco, the chair of the meeting, councillor Guy Ashton called for people interested in the project to be flexible during the prosces.

He also warned those living in the area that the project could be delayed if it is “too finalised” before it starts.

Cllr Ashton said: “What I worry about is if we get it it too finalised before we begin then it won’t be 2020 it will be 2030.”

The next meeting will take place on December 8.