PLANS to demolish one of Winchester's best-known buildings and replace it with 300 homes have been tentatively welcomed by councillors.

City planners met with representatives of Hampshire Police Authority, which owns the tower block building in Romsey Road, along with members of the public to discuss the proposals.

No decision was reached on the plans but councillors said they were hopeful a scheme could be agreed upon before a planning appeal in September tackles controversial proposals to clad the entire block with glass.

Mike Attenborough-Cox, chairman of the police authority, said that as the city council had resisted plans to refurbish the shabby 1960s headquarters, the authority was now looking to finance a move by selling the land for development.

Before the land is sold the authority wants to establish that the idea of turning the site into a housing development is acceptable and has applied to the council for outline permission for the 300 homes.

Deirdre Wells, planning consultant for the police, said the freeing up of the Romsey Road site would create a windfall for the council and save some development in greenfield areas of the city.

Concerns were aired at the meeting over the number of homes proposed, the height and size of any development, parking issues and the location of a mobile phone mast which would have to be

provided to replace the mast currently on top of the tower block.

Alan Weeks, chairman of the Winchester Residents' Association, said: "Three hundred homes isn't appropriate for this high and very visible prominent location."

Some residents spoke in favour of allowing the police to refurbish the tower block so that the police could remain at the site.

Winchester resident Brandon Taylor told the committee he felt the tower block was an elegant and important piece of modern architecture.

Committee members decided to defer any decision until more negotiations had taken place addressing their concerns.

Chairman of the meeting Councillor Georgina Busher said: "This is a huge opportunity for the police and the city council to provide a really, really good development of which we can all be proud.

"If we can get this right now we will have helped towards solving some of our housing problems."