IT is the multi-million pound development which has seen countless false dawns after years of controversy and legal battles.

But the Silver Hill scheme is this week on the verge of going ahead after Winchester civic chiefs vowed to remove the last barrier to development.

The city council's cabinet today agreed that developer TH Real Estate had met its obligations under the £150 million deal for shops, homes and a new bus station, paving the way for construction this winter.

But rebel city councillor Kim Gottlieb has threatened a raft of new legal challenges to block the regeneration, which he warns will wreck the historic city centre.

Lib Dem group leader Lucille Thompson joined criticism of the Conservative cabinet's "secrecy" over complex financial data backing the developer's claims. At least 10 reports at yesterday's meeting were kept from public scrutiny under commercial confidentiality.

Criticising the lack of public information, resident Una Stevens said: "Is it on the basis of such an unknown shimmer that breathes imaginary fire that our city stands perilously close to being wrecked for ever, reduced to this abysmal eyesore?

"If you, as our city councillors, agree to this, claiming that you know best, when many of you do not live in or near the city, in my opinion and that of very many others, your legacy will be one of wilful and deliberate destruction of our illustrious city."

TH Real Estate has been criticised by campaigners for claiming its revived scheme from 2009, which it called unviable as recently as January, can now go ahead.

Councillors were briefed last week by the council's consultants, Deloitte and Knight Frank, who are understood to have said the developer's numbers, including an £86.2 million construction cost, were "reasonable".

This was echoed at cabinet yesterday - but the press and public were excluded from nearly two hours of discussion.

Head of estates Kevin Warren said disclosing details like land values could threaten the scheme's viability by encouraging landowners to demand more compensation.

If the 2009 scheme's viability is given final approval after full council tomorrow, along with details of funding and housing partners, the long-touted regeneration will 'go unconditional' - the point of no return.

But Cllr Gottlieb is expected to seek an injunction blocking the council's decision and apply to quash compulsory purchase orders.

He told the meeting: "The plain fact is that there is not one outstanding condition where you could honestly say all the t's have been crossed and all the i's have been dotted.

"In too many critical respects the advice that councillors received is incomplete. In some cases, it is misleading and altogether it is far too uncertain and vulnerable to changes that could effectively unravel the decisions you are about to make."

Cllr Gottlieb, who defeated controversial changes in the High Court earlier this year, is also bidding to save the medieval Cross Keys Passage from redevelopment by forming a trust to buy it from the council.

Earlier at the meeting, green campaigners called for the scheme to be updated to meet today's environmental standards. Chris Gillham, of Winchester Friends of the Earth, told councillors that failing to tackle the city's poor air quality by building a new car park could see the council fined by prosecutors targeting the British government.

Cabinet approved TH Real Estate's submissions subject to several clarifications from the developer - discussed in private session - and comments from overview and scrutiny committee and full council before taking a final decision.