FIVE international companies including a major 'world player' are in talks over moving to Winchester when its station area is revamped, a meeting heard.

Council officials have promised a significant jobs boost if top employers set up in proposed new office blocks.

Attracting big business is the cornerstone of the Station Approach development, which will see two areas near the railway station transformed with commercial space, shops, housing, infrastructure and open space.

Kevin Warren, Winchester City Council's head of estates, told cabinet that the biggest of five firms interested is looking to open a 40,000 sq ft head office and could bring another company along, bringing its tenancy to 90,000 sq ft.

"These are very big, important players in the world," Mr Warren said. "They would be a fantastic coup for the city in terms of employment and in terms of the kinds of jobs we would like to see in the city - a broad range, from low level to high level.

"It would be very, very beneficial for the local economy if we were able to secure these companies."

Mr Warren described one business as in the "financial world" but would not divulge further details when approached by the Chronicle.

The news came as a second architect pulled out of the competition to design the scheme.

London-based Grimshaw Architects quit last week, leaving three firms in the mix. Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios had already backed out to pursue another project.

Winchester's Design Engine, Aedas RHWL and Hopkins Architects Partnership now make up the shortlist.

Design Engine last week secured a contract to design a masterplan for a £125 million new campus at London Metropolitan University.

But founder-director Rod Graham reaffirmed his commitment to Station Approach when approached by the Chronicle.

Cllr Stephen Godfrey, leader of Winchester City Council, said the three remaining architects were the council's top choices when the shortlist was compiled.

He told the meeting: "We have three of the best companies on our shortlist still wanting to develop in Winchester, who will bring forward and design really exciting, innovative, sustainable and interesting proposals for Winchester which will come before a jury in April before a decision is made in May."

The practices are six weeks into a 14-week design period.

As reported by the Chronicle, architects had raised concerns over the tight time schedule over Christmas, prompting a four-week extension by the council.

Cllr Godfrey said it would be "unfair" to start again in order to recruit other firms.

But some Winchester practices were upset at missing out on the initial shortlist.

Asked about the drop-outs, Paul Bulkeley, design director of Snug Architects, said: "If we had been informed a few weeks ago we might have had time to compete but it is clearly too late now.

"We always had an issue anyway with them setting the work over the Christmas period. Who works Christmas? You are never going to get quality out of people if after all these years you give the designers a few weeks, between turkey and champagne, to do all the real work."