Barton Farm and the Station Area - TrustNews Sep 13
The informal 2020 Group, made up of Trust and WinACC members was formed to explore how Winchester could best develop into an attractive and sustainable city by 2020. Currently we are deeply involved in both Barton Farm and the Station Area developments.
The basic elements of Barton Farm were fixed by agreement between WCC and CALA Homes, and given outline planning approval by the Secretary of State. However, there are numerous aspects that have yet to be designed before WCC will give the detailed planning approval necessary before work can start. It is not yet known whether all or only a proportion of the development will be the continuing responsibility of CALA and their architects John Thompson & Partners (JTP) and, in any case, not all of the buildings will be designed at the outset. The first phase (the north and south sections of the site) will be by CALA and JTP, but to ensure certain standards and homogeneous character, they are also responsible for the Design Codes that will guide the whole of the development. These Codes must be approved by WCC even before a detailed planning application for Phase 1 can be submitted, and they are the ongoing subject of research, negotiations, workshops and public participation. There are some pre-fixed elements (such as the road diversion and overall housing density) which the Trust would have wished otherwise, but our sphere of influence is constrained. On all other matters we have found WCC, CALA, JTP and the other consultants ready to meet, engage in discussion and modify their proposals if our case is well enough argued, and generally we are very satisfied with the way the Codes are taking shape. But we are still endeavouring to influence such things as the distribution of houses around the site, preferring denser housing areas with larger green spaces, better cycle routes both within and outside the site, and higher levels of sustainable construction which, if not adopted, could mean that Barton Farm will lag behind best practice long before it is completed and, of course, the actual design of the buildings. JTP have an excellent record of extending their influence beyond design into what is now being called ‘social sustainability’, meaning the continuing sense of place and contentment of those who live in a new development, together with the approval of neighbouring areas and, in this case, the whole of Winchester. It is a matter of deep regret to the Trust that this green wedge will be lost, but it is some compensation that all concerned are determined the development will be a credit to the city, though not always agreeing on how best to achieve this objective.
The Station Area is one of the three neighbourhoods used by 2020 to illustrate how regeneration of the uglier areas of Winchester could meet much of the demand for housing and commercial growth instead of repeatedly building on our unique landscape setting. Moreover, regeneration would also provide the opportunity to enhance the character of the city where it is most needed. The City Council have also been considering the potential of their land adjoining the station and have adopted virtually the same extended area that we proposed. An advantage here is that the largest sites are owned by the City, the County and Network Rail, and there is reason to hope that they all see that a comprehensive pattern of redevelopment, which creates an attractive urban environment, could enhance both land values and the reputation of Winchester. WCC has moved fast and selected (by tender) Tibbalds Planning & Urban Design to produce a high level Development Assessment of the extended area. This will be confined to land values and development potential, but viewed firmly in the context of a cohesive development taking into account all that we have asked for in the way of public space, character and so forth. Development of the area is bound to take place over a number of years and in many different hands so, like Barton Farm, it will need something akin to a master plan though within a more flexible urban design framework to ensure a truly successful outcome for visitors and the people of Winchester in addition to simple financial success. We are concerned that although the aspiration is there, the means of its implementation is still unclear. Fortunately the Trust and WinACC are included amongst the stakeholders whom Tibbalds have been instructed to consult, and we remain in regular contact with Council officers on the subject.