Town Planning and Development Control - Trust Annual Report 1988
During the last year, two problems, which are reflections of pressures seen nationwide, are becoming all too apparent in Winchester. Both problems are aspects of economic growth. The seemingly insatiable demand for development land threatens with in-fill several of Winchester's green spaces, hitherto regarded as more or-less permanent features. And the growth of car traffic is such that Winchester's radial routes and gyratory system are rapidly clogging up - Winchester is becoming a car-dominated town. The policies of restraint adopted at the Town Plan Inquiry do not appear to be working. In both cases, it is particularly sad that the Local Authorities themselves are setting such bad examples.
The grounds of West Downs and Kings School are likely to be developed for residential use and other country sites about to be developed or at risk are Henry Beaufort School, Weeke School, Airlie Road and Courtney Road. The Town Plan, which emphasised the need for more open spaces in Winchester, clearly did not envisage these developments, nor anticipate their traffic consequences.
There is clearly a need for an urgent review of Plan policies in the light of these developments and for Local Authorities to exercise some of the restraint themselves, that they were proposing to exert on others.
The Brooks Development is an example of the Local Council being tempted, by highly lucrative deals, to compromise on restraint policies and over-develop the site. The additional car parking provision on this site, will ensure an unpleasant street environment in the City Centre, particularly since the 'temporary' car park on the St Peter's School site has become permanent. The development of the Peninsula Barracks will further overload the traffic system, particularly along the radials of Southgate Street/St Cross Road and Romsey Road, the latter's problems being compounded by the developments at West Downs and Kings School.
The Town Plan is 3 years old, the City Council now has a traffic expert but nothing at all has happened in the way of experimentation in Park and Ride. The promise to reduce City Centre traffic appears to have been forgotten. The one experiment in traffic restraint (that of closure of Kingsgate Arch and College Street) will actually increase traffic levels on the gyratory system unless complementary measures are taken to prevent this (the Trust has supported the proposal with this proviso).
The County Council has recently indicated its desire to use the Carfax site as a 'temporary' car park for its own staff. We have suggested that the County Council, as the Highway Authority which wrote the transport elements of the Town Plan, ought to set an example and take the opportunity presented by its development of the Tower Street/High Street corner to start an experiment in Park and Ride for its own staff.
The Trust's Development Control panels continue to meet weekly to scrutinise planning applications.
A proposal to build in the countryside at Sarum Farm was turned down by the City Council but was the subject of an Appeal at which the Trust appeared in support of the City. The Secretary of State found in favour of the City Council but pressure on the outskirts of Winchester will, we fear, continue. An application to develop housing, a golf course and a country club at Manor Farm, Pitt was turned down but is the subject of an Appeal and a modified proposal without the housing has been submitted.
In the City area, Winchester City Council turned down schemes to build flats on the Canon Cinema site and houses on the site of the National Tyre Service at Edgar Road, to which the Trust had objected on architectural grounds.
The Trust opposed a scheme on an important site at 75 to 79 Eastgate Street which in the event was turned down by the City. The trust was invited by the Developer to a discussion on the site and made a number of suggestions which have been incorporated in an amended scheme, which has now been submitted to the City. This, if accepted, will result in the preservation of two early Victorian cottages, Nos 75 and 76, which otherwise would have been destroyed.
The Trust has made strong representations about the condition and future of the prominent Highcliffe terrace, Bankside Cottages, overlooking Quarry Hill Road. We were pleased to learn that the owner, the City Council, wishes to re-use rather than demolish the building, but disturbed to see that their scheme removed the charming balcony so familiar to us all.
After many years of effort by the Landscape Committee, the City Council has at last been persuaded to alter its policy of destroying the historic gravestones in West Hill Cemetery, one of the City's most remarkable open spaces. As reported in the last Newsletter, it is now intended that the Cemetery will become a carefully managed area where wild flowers, butterflies and birds will be encouraged by suitable planting and the elimination of chemical spraying.