PLANNING chiefs in Southampton are set to decide on £40m plans to overhaul the city’s former Meridian television studio site.

Inland Homes handed in its proposals for the Meridian Gardens development last year and now the developer will face councillors at a meeting tomorrow.

The firm wants to create 350 homes, a convenience store and a new park on the banks of the River Itchen and city council planners have recommended that the proposals are given the green light.

The site was well-known in the city for its long connection with television broadcasting, with ITV contractors Southern, TVS and finally Meridian all based at the site for decades.

But 2008 saw the end of broadcasting at the site after a £4.5billion merger between Meridian’s owners Granada and Carlton, and the subsequent decision to close the site.

Since then the site has lain derelict, and two previous schemes were put forward but never got close to fruition.

First Oakdene Homes wanted to build a £100million complex with 500 apartments, commercial space and a 27-storey tower. And then, after Oakdene went into administration in 2009, the Royal Bank of Scotland’s commercial property wing West Register proposed another plan for 250 homes, but again the plans did not come to anything.

Inland Homes’ plans are for 351 homes, divided between 145 one-bed, 174 two-bed and eight three-bed apartments, as well as 12 three-bed “duplex” units and 12 three-bed houses.

Daily Echo:

An artist's impression of the Meridian Gardens site

Buildings at the site would range in height from two storeys on Summers Street to 13 storeys in the north-east part of the site.

And as well as space for a convenience store and other commercial units there would also be a 3,000 square metre open space along the eastern part of the site, linking Summers Street to the river.

One objection has been made to the council by a resident, who is concerned about the size of the development and fears that it will lead to “excessive” traffic making its way along Summers Street.

However council planning officers have recommended that councillors in the planning and rights of way panel grant it permission at Tuesday’s meeting.

The firm also signed a deal with the city council last year to redevelop the nearby Chapel Riverside site into a business and housing complex.

It is hoped the new development will bring 700 new jobs to the city in 6,500sq m of new business space as well as 350 homes and flats and a public park.

The site had been earmarked as the potential site for a snowdome attraction before the plans were scrapped in 2012 and has most recently been used as the council’s waste and recycling centre.

Consultation on the Chapel Riverside scheme is set to start this year with a planning application likely to be handed in next year.