It's taken almost a decade of deliberation, but the plan to redevelop a large part of Winchester's city centre is finally set to go ahead.

Winchester City Council is finalising the agreement with developers, Thornfield Properties, over the next few weeks on the £100m Friarsgate/Broadway scheme. The huge facelift will be scrutinised by a council committee on Monday and go to cabinet on Wednesday, October 6th.

"It has taken more than eight years to reach this important stage," said council leader, Sheila Campbell. "This scheme is the largest seen in Winchester since the development of The Brooks."

Describing the plans, as a "defining" moment in the history of Winchester, director of Thornfield Properties, Michael Capocci, said the development would see a blighted area of the city improved and would attempt to recreate a "lost quarter" of Winchester.

The scheme, designed around a street plan to reflect Winchester's Roman past, would house a new retail centre to accommodate 41 shops, at least 364 new residential units, including 127 homes and new locations for existing premises such as Sainsbury's, Iceland, Friarsgate car park and the post office, which would be bulldozed.

The area would also reveal the stream between Friarsgate and Busket Lane to create a walkway.

In front of a new bus station, which would be accessed by vehicles away from pedestrian areas, there would be a large piazza, which it is hoped will be an ideal space for arta activities, bars and cafs and possibly a hotel.

There would also be a new market site. "There's something here for everyone," said Mr Capocci, adding that the amount of housing had been increased from the original planning brief of around 100 units to 364 after it was found by architects that the area could support a greater density and would make the scheme more financially viable.

Robin Cooper, director of development services, said: "We, along with every council, are going to be persuaded to have more housing." He added that it made sense that it would be in central Winchester as there was a strong demand for one and two-bedroom flats in the city centre.

He admitted that the number of car parking spaces would have to increase by 166 new spaces, which included those provided for the new houses in an area of the city where the city council had been trying to minimise traffic.

He thought the accommodation should be attractive to people who did not own cars, as they would have all the facilities they needed in the heart of the city. It is hoped that work could begin on the first phase in 2006, with a five-year building programme to follow.