At times it is easy to believe nothing will ever change.

Plans come and plans go for cities such as Southampton, and most never get off the drawing board. Indeed, many never get past the initial discussions.

The derelict space that abuts the city walls between the Quays Diving Centre and the WestQuay shopping complex is a case in point.

It has stood empty for decades as proposals have been mulled over. Yet this plot of land could be said to be central to the city’s hopes for regeneration and self-belief.

A world class development here would transform – at a stroke – the city’s relationship with its heritage, reconnecting its people in a dramatic way with Southampton’s best surviving and longest stretch of high defensive walls.

Now, as we report today, the talking is over and the diggers are moving in. The Watermark West Quay public space is promised to provide the city with a focal point as well as shops, restaurants, bars and amenities.

It is not the final piece in the jigsaw of Southampton’s march to reconnect with the sea. That will come when the Royal Pier and Mayflower Park areas are finally developed. But it is a huge step in the right direction.