Policy Group - TrustNews Dec 13
I doubt if the Trust has ever been so involved at any one time in so many important discussions on such a variety of important proposals that may affect our City for decades to come. Some of these issues are at an early stage where the final outcome is uncertain. I thought it might be helpful for Trust members to have a brief overview of where we currently stand on each.
Car Parking Review
We responded to the City Council's recent review of car parking and now await the outcome of the consultation exercise. We pointed out that the Council's long-standing policy to reduce traffic in the city centre seemed to have been forgotten despite their own policies in the Local Plan 2013 to reduce traffic, including a specific target of reducing central parking spaces by 500 by 2016. The Trust's long-standing aim in our ‘The Future of Winchester: A Strategic Vision' has been to eliminate through traffic; progressive reduction of non essential traffic in the City core; and pedestrian priority in the central area.
New Leisure Centre?
There have been many press stories about the future of the present River Park Leisure Centre, whether rebuilt at North Walls or an alternative site at Bar End. At the time of writing the City Council are about to put forward details of their 4 options, which we will study with care before we respond. In the meantime we put forward an interim statement raising a number of fundamental questions that we believe need to be answered before a decision is made. These include: the scale of the sporting needs to be met, the forecast use by vehicles, cycles and pedestrians on the respective approach routes, and the effect of forecast traffic on congestion in the City's road system. Also, what justification is there for the additional car-parking provision proposed and what consultations have taken place with Fareham and Eastleigh Councils, both of which we understand to be contemplating new or replacement centres.
Station area Redevelopment
Members of the Trust met the Council's planning consultants when they started their work on proposals for redevelopment of the Railway station area. We are now awaiting the publication of their final report to the City Council in the near future. We will then decide how to take forward our concerns that no short term decisions should be made that could prejudice this unique opportunity for the enhancement of whole area. We expect that there will be a public exhibition before the end of the year when the consultants and the City officers will present their proposals.
Barton Farm
The Policy Group has continued to attend meetings with the consultants to look with care at the first set of The Longhouse,detailed plans for phase 1 of the development of Barton Farm, which have now been submitted to Winchester City Council by Cala Homes. The application relates to the 425 dwellings (202 in phase 1A and 223 in phase 1B) including public open space.
Alongside the planning application Cala Homes have submitted the Design Code (a ‘book’ of design standards to guide the development of the whole site) required as a condition of the original outline permission. We will continue with this detailed work as both the first reserved matters and design code details will be considered by a Special Planning Development Control Committee in February 2014.
Silver Hill
At a special meeting with the architects we were given a preview of revisions to the long-delayed plans for the Silver Hill development for new shopping and housing in the City Centre and learned that a new planning application will be submitted, probably in the new year. The Trust hopes to organise a meeting with the developers for all Trust members so that the implications of the likely changes can be fully explained. If you would be interested in coming, please make sure we have your email address as we may need to contact you at short notice.
20 mph speed limits
A consultation exercise has just been undertaken by the County and City Councils on proposed 20 mph speed limits in and around the City centre. Boards setting out the proposals have been on display in the Discovery Centre and on the Council's website. There has been some concern that the current proposals probably did not extend far enough but we will consider the plans further before making a formal response on behalf of the Trust.
These topics have been some of the key issues we have looked at in recent weeks and we will report back further to Trust members as events move on.