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Planning Appraisal Group - TrustNews Mar 16

As was to be expected over the holiday period there was a drop-off in applications processed followed by a something of a surge during January. Amid the applications for relatively minor modifications we continue to see a significant number of major extensions to existing houses by householders. On the other hand when a developer purchases a plot with an existing house surrounded by a relatively large garden they usually wish to maximise the profit to be made from it and thus frequently seek to demolish the existing dwelling and replace it with multiple dwellings. This of course has been and continues to be the pattern of development in Chilbolton Avenue, which was mentioned in December. In addition to 15 Chilbolton Avenue we also found that we really could not support a recent proposal for development on the site of 29 Chilbolton Avenue even though we had received a presentation about it.

This prompted some further discussion about the continued relevance of the Local Area Design statements, some of which were completed more than ten years ago. As previously mentioned, these documents are still regarded as a basis for planning decisions and until revised are incorporated by reference into the new Winchester District Plan Part 1. Any review conducted with a view to updating these documents would be a considerable undertaking that would need to reconvene representatives from the groups originally involved. This is not something that the Trust, acting on its own, is in a position to undertake although it would certainly hope to have a role to play in any such process.

Once procedures associated with finalising the City’s Local Plan Part 2 have been completed it might be time to review other strategic planning documents such as the Local Area Design Statements and the Strategic Plan for the Winchester Conservation Area. Such documents, and the debates associated with their review provide a framework within which the Planning Appraisal Groups continue their work of assessing individual applications. It would be useful to hear from Trust members what they think about this and whether they would be willing to participate in and/or assist with facilitating such a process should there be support for it. This might include making contact with City Councillors to help get things moving.

Mary Tiles