ENGLISH Heritage has come to the aid of campaigners fighting to stop a controversial development in Winchester city centre.

It intervened at the last minute as the city council was yesterday poised to approve the scheme for a new building in Southgate Street.

The plans had aroused strong opposition, including a protest from the award-winning Hotel du Vin which objected to the loss of its stunning views of the cathedral.

The hotel has said it would even consider buying the threatened building on the opposite side of the street if that was the only way of preserving it.

Yesterday the city council planning committee deferred the proposal to demolish Herberts hairdressers and replace the single-storey building with a block of eleven flats.

Opponents branded the scheme as "looking like a Bronx tenement" claiming it was too high and too bulky. Objectors included St Thomas Residents' Association, Winchester Residents' Association and the chamber of commerce.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage criticised the council for not consulting the group.

She said: "We have expressed concerns about the development. It affects the setting of the hotel, a grade two listed building.

"The design is below standard for Winchester. We have concerns about the size of the design. It is too tall and too deep, much deeper than the adjoining buildings.

"We have written to the council about our concerns and are in discussions with them. We were alerted by members of the public. To be quite frank, it should not have got to that stage. The council should have written to us and it didn't. It shouldn't have been left to members of the public to inform us."

Robin Hutson, managing director of the hotel, said he was delighted that there was now a chance the scheme could be altered.

He said: "English Heritage left it to the 11th hour but I am delighted it has come to our aid."

"We were so concerned about the impact on us that we inquired if contracts had been exchanged.

"It is not a site we need but if buying it is the only way of protecting it then we may have to look at that."