Winchester Local Plan - TrustNews Mar 13
Winchester City Council’s Local Plan Part 1 has been found ‘sound’ by a Government Planning inspector. This follows several years of preparation with extensive participation and public consultation where the Trust has been a significant contributor. Planning inspector Nigel Payne has concluded that the Plan “provides for a sustainable pattern of new development across the District”.
On housing the inspector concluded that the Council should aim to see development consistent with the upper level of the range of houses communities had sought in the market towns and larger villages. He also said there was capacity for additional houses to be built in the proposed extension of the community at Whiteley. The City Council says that taking into account houses completed, planning permissions granted and strategic allocations at Barton Farm, North Whiteley and West of Waterlooville, it has already identified locations for 10,500 of its allocation just a couple of years into the 20-year plan period, leaving around 2,000 to find through Local Plan Part 2 which has recently started.
However, far more disappointing from the Trust's point of view is the inspector’s decision to allocate the former Bush?ed Camp for employment. The City Council had identified this as an “opportunity site" but the Trust has been strongly arguing that any development on the site would be totally inappropriate because of the impact on Winchester’s setting and in particular its proximity to and visibility from the South Downs National Park.
The inspector's recommendations are binding and will now be put to the City’s Cabinet and Council to allow final adoption of this first part of Winchester’s new Local Plan.
Patrick Davies, who chairs the Trust's policy committee said “This decision is deeply disappointing and seems to have little regard for the unique setting of Winchester. The Trust will now have to concentrate on looking at ways of minimising the impact of any development proposals."
Bushfield from St Catherines Hill