Chairman's Jottings - TrustNews Jun 13
A considerable amount of time these days is being spent by some members of the Trust in trying to understand the impact of a large number of new houses on the City (with the infrastructure needed to support them). For every one thousand dwellings provided, the population of Winchester grows by a minimum of say ten per cent. To give some idea of the numbers and impact involved, try hand-drawing one thousand 25mm squares to represent a standard house and remember that Winchester has possibly to cope with four times this exercise!
There are a number of things that puzzle me. For example, how are connections made to the City centre, to the Station; where are all the people coming from; and where are the jobs - how many of them involve commuters’? This leads me to wonder how traf?c can be handled, not only within an estate but also to the City centre, given what could be a 40% population increase.
NEW TOWN
In the case of Barton Farm, one answer to help resolve part of the car traffic problem appears to be to provide a shopping centre within the development and then to boost its potential success rate by diverting the main north access route through the middle of the ‘new town’. This fundamental proposal again raises a number of questions: for example, how do you integrate what could become a divided community split by a big road? On the face of it, it seems old fashioned to think that there must be a better way of organising a successful town/village centre other than by moving main road traffic through the middle.
A ?nal word on the subject: good design in the built environment must be central to a successful integration of large new developments. What matters is not just the buildings but the spaces between, and good design should make great places where people want to live, work and stay. It should be sustainable development, building strong communities, improving people's quality of life, health and access to employment. It should also create a thriving and vibrant place in which people can live. Can this be achieved, or are we just going to provide people with more uninteresting car-inhabited suburbs which we can see up and down the country all without any sense of place?
WALKS, TALKS AND VISITS.
I know that lain Patton has been arranging an interesting programme of walks, talks and visits. It would be marvellous if these were well supported. They are all ‘designed’ to compare other places’ successes and problems with Winchester's. John Beveridge has also been spending much time organising the popular informative talks and walks around Winchester. Both members deserve a huge vote of thanks for these outings. A great deal of work is required which I am sure if well supported they feel is a worthwhile reward.
You will see from lain Patton's programme of events that a St Catherine’s Hill outing is arranged for 22nd June. I have to admit there is an ulterior motive for such a venue! Bushfield Camp is in full view of the aspect from St Catherine's and is an important part of the setting and so has a major visual impact on the City. It is also currently being considered by the Local Authority as a potential development area. So apart from being a fantastic place to be on a fine June day, laced by some invigorating, informative talks, there is a serious question to consider. As lain has no doubt pointed out, in the event of wind and rain there is an alternative venue where the thought-provoking, informative talks will take place.
We were sad to hear that Lady Zaida Ramsbotham recently died. She was a great supporter of the Winchester Trust and of course was the wife of Sir Peter Ramsbotham, our very active President for many years. Both of them will be missed for their wise advice, friendship and active participation in many of our events.
This edition’s cover picture is of one of several painted advertisements within the city. These are all rapidly disappearing through age and weather. Do you know where it is?