THE word entrepreneurial is one of the key focuses of Winchester City Council's new strategy.

However a meeting heard there is confusion about what that actually means.

In an admission at a council meeting, council leader Caroline Horrill admitted that officers are still working on what the definition is.

As reported in the Chronicle, the move for the council to become 'entrepreneurial' is a major part of its strategy, but at full Council the word appeared to have different definitions.

The council's new strategy focuses on retaining business rates, housing reform, providing new models for services.

But there is also a new £10m investment scheme for the city council to invest in property to provide rental income at a time when Government support is being severely cut.

According to a council document they define an entrepreneurial approach by "Responding to the significant challenges facing the public sector and ensuring that Winchester District continues to thrive requires different ways of thinking and new approaches to how to achieve the same/more with less."

However, opposition councillors believe that the Conservative administration have not pointed out that this strategy may have an element of risk involved.

Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Cutler said:"I am amazed in the weeks since this paper was introduced, no one has looked at the dictionary.

"There is no mention of risk and that is what entrepreneurial approach means, you should be honest about it.

"I am in favour of a business approach but an entrepreneurial approach is very different, as it is taking risks for reward."

While Liberal Democrat councillor Therese Evans said: "Entrepreneurial is not an everyday word. Most people do not use it in conversations and I don't suppose many people can spell it either."

Council leader Caroline Horrill admitted the definition needs to be clearer.

Cllr Horrill said: "We need to be absolutely clear for all of us about how we articulate that, we have the behaviour associated with that, it is the task we set ourselves to try and get some definitions. It is a work in a progress."