TrustNews Mar 20

Chairman's Jottings

Every time the Trust News date for article submissions comes around, l go into a slight state of panic and wonder what on earth there is to write about, particularly as the same development subjects come around and around with very little appearing to be resolved. No doubt progress on development sites has been disrupted by the Covid virus lockdowns, as well as the difficulties in forecasting the type of growth required post Covid.

 

One of the many subjects we endlessly debate, is the need to plan and coordinate movement around the City and the development of individual sites. In 2018 the Trust published 'A Vision for Winchester'. The first Vision was for the production of a Citywide Urban Design Framework.

This would coordinate and set out the movement strategy for the City and show arrangements to control and reduce traffic, routes for pedestrians and cyclists, pedestrian areas and open spaces, bus and coach routes, taxi stands, and inner and outer parking sites. Into this coordinated movement context, would be shown the links, access and servicing arrangements for each individual site proposed for development.

 

With this Framework, masterplans can then be prepared for significant development sites. These would, in the City centre, be for the Cattle Market in Andover Road, Station Approach, the Central Area (Silver Hill) and River Park, and elsewhere for sites such as the Sir John Moore Barracks site at Flowerdown, on the northern edge of the City. We have at the moment a series of separate studies, such as the Movement Strategy and A Vision for Winchester and individual development proposals progressing without a Framework. Our call is for Winchester to have a coherent and comprehensive approach towards transport and land use planning for the City.

 

Keith Leaman