Chairman's Jottings - TrustNews Sept 14
As I mentioned in the last TrustNews, Shione Carden wishes to retire from running the Planning Appraisal Group which monitors incoming planning applications for Winchester. In response to my pleas for help, Dr Mary Tiles has kindly come forward and offered her services. Unfortunately she is unable to start helping until towards the end of October and we are very grateful to Shione for agreeing to stay with the PAG team until the handover takes place.
We had a fascinating visit to Chichester in July. We were welcomed by the Mayor and given a talk by the Town Clerk on the city's political history. It was interesting to hear about the current housing demands the City is having to cope with; much of it seems to be a repeat of Winchester’s growth pains, although they have not a "Silver Hill" problem in their midst!
We are anticipating that Silver Hill is about to be resubmitted as a revised planning application very soon. The scheme was granted planning approval sometime ago with a previous developer who was unable to proceed with the development. A new developer is now progressing a scheme using the same firm of architects, working on the same arrangements for which planning approval was granted sometime ago. There are a number of revisions to the original scheme that have been required by the new developer, the main ones probably being to do with the housing content and the public bus arrangements. In fact the bus movements are the requirement of the bus company, not the developer or the local authority. Because of the revisions, the scheme is now having to be resubmitted for approval.
It is always very difficult for anybody to understand completely how a substantial development impacts on its surroundings. There are so many things to consider apart from the brief and client requirements. These include, of course, the content, street patterns, views in and out, materials, heights, spaces, servicing etcetera; the list is endless, but the one ingredient that is so illusive to arrive at is ambience. Can one enjoy the end result; does the environment created make you feel good; is there a sense of belonging and of ‘place’? This is always difficult to evaluate and you can only really tell whether a development works well when it is completed and operating.
We have another substantial site that is currently being assessed, that is around the railway station. Another London based firm has now been appointed and is working to what we consider a good brief provided by Winchester City Planning Department. One could argue that this area is just as important to get right as Silver Hill — after all, it is one of the main gateways into Winchester and the first impression of a visit can leave lasting memories.
I hope that you have all had a good summer; we have had such wonderful weather here in the south. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Annual General Meeting, which is to be held on Monday 22nd September.