Development Control Committee - TrustNews Spring 1997
It appears that Winchester is seen as a city of gluttons and drunkards - if the numerous applications for changes of use to bars and restaurants are anything to go by, to say nothing of the refurbishments being made to many existing establishments.
No. 10 The Square. Another possible restaurant?
Two of these have recently changed hands and appearances, at 3 Eastgate Street where the Cafe Rouge now holds sway, and not far away at 1 High Street, previously known as The Louisiana and now transformed into Barringtons. Applications for these alterations came within weeks of each other, causing considerable concern among local residents that their peace would be shattered by the music and noise of these premises. Great and Little Minster Street and The Square already have about ten outlets where food, drink and a variety of beverages can be consumed on the premises, and applications came in for conversions to provide even more: for a large bar/restaurant at 12 & 13 The Square, which has been granted, and at 10 The Square, where it was proposed that Blazers should be converted into a restaurant. This would have been another loss of retail space at a prime site in the city centre and it is a relief the application has been refused, on these grounds and because of inadequate information about the interior alterations this change would require - such a lack of detail is unacceptable for a listed building such as No 10. (Since going to press this application has gone to appeal).
Another haven for the hungry and thirsty are the pubs and many restaurants in Jewry Street. Their numbers are soon to be swelled by Allied Domeq Leisure's large pub round the corner at 90-91 High Street in the premises of the old Job Centre and Gas Board showrooms, and possibly also at 11-11a Jewry Street where J D Wedderstone Plc want to convert the ground floor of Habels furniture shop into another pub. At the time of writing a decision on the latter application still has to be reached.
Habels ground floor may be converted to a pub
This would mean the loss of one more link with Winchester's past, for the family firm of Habel has been located in this site for many years, and its possible demise reflects the way life has changed over recent years. The policy has been to add to the choice of goods available in Winchester by allowing an expansion of retail warehousing at Winnall, and where previously only SCATS (removed from Jewry Street) existed, the scope has now widened considerably and possibly to the extent that trade in the city centre is becoming distorted.
Shops abound that sell cards, clothes and shoes, but if you want to buy something useful like a washing machine or cooker you will have to go elsewhere. At present there is a limited choice in furniture and carpets in the city centre, but on present trends, these are soon likely only to be available locally at Winnall. This means using a car, and there are already ominous signs of traffic problems at certain times at some junctions with Easton Lane. In a recent application to build a non-food retail warehouse on land adjoining Tesco, it was claimed that the development would not damage the city centre because this "is a strong retail centre" that had "easily withstood the opening of Tesco, Sainsbury Homebase, Sharps and Hardings". The Trust is not so sure, and feels the time has come to call a halt to further developments of this kind at Winnall, at least for the time being.
The success of Winchester's higher education colleges is one reason for the increased trade in food and drink, because the increasing number of their students are prospective consumers. This success has also led to other pressures on the city, such as the huge development at West Downs and the expanding campus of the School of Art. Younger pupils also need improved facilities, and the scheme for student accommodation at Peter Symonds College created considerable distress amongst nearby residents because of its size and the disturbance they expected would be caused by its inmates. The new Arts & Technology building at St Swithun's School has also caused some concern because it was feared its size (large), shape (pyramidal) and position (on the northern boundary) would be very obtrusive when seen from the north. Both these buildings are still under negotiation with the Local Authority.
Denstone: 78 Christchurch Road.
There is a proposal to demolish this house
The role of the Trust in development control is far from cut and dried. Sometimes the design of new buildings is our main concern, such as the Winchester Centre in Parchment Street, and sometimes it is the treatment a listed building undergoes without permission, such as painting 33 High Street and its Pentice pillars in the dark green livery of Holland & Barrett, the new tenants of the premises - the Trust was impressed by the speed with which the Planning Department enforced the reinstatement of the reinstatement of the building’s original colours.
The mixture of different aspects making up the scheme as a whole is sometimes our main concern, as with the development at the Marston Brewery site. The original applications have been lodged for an appeal, while a slightly altered scheme has been re-submitted for consideration. The Trust found this architecturally dubious and as unacceptable as the original scheme because the supposed "planning gain" was still less beneficial than it should be, as was discussed in last summer's Newsletter.
In other schemes, such as the Morestead Wastewater Treatment Works, the landscaping component may be the most important aspect, although here the buildings also need careful consideration because of their extremely large size.
At other times an element may be retaining an open space, for this can be a crucial part of an area's character. An example of this is at Denstone, 78 Christchurch Road, on the corner with Ranelagh Road. Here it is proposed to demolish the existing house and build two pairs of semi-detached houses along the Christchurch Road frontage, thus losing the leafy space of the garden between No 78 and its neighbour to the south. Such gaps are not only characteristic of the Conservation Area in which the house is located, but the proposed scheme would also have other unfortunate consequences. The house is in a sound condition, and permitting its demolition would send all the wrong kinds of signals to property developers and estate agents in the district, and the dangerous precedent would have been set: If it's considered economically unviable by a developer to rehabilitate them, it's alright to knock down structurally sound buildings in the Winchester District Conservation Areas.
Good news is that the Planning Department is producing "Design Guidance for the Control of Shopfronts and Signs", a booklet for applicants aimed at helping to improve the standard of design found within the district. The Trust welcomes this long overdue document, and is grateful to have had the opportunity of commenting on the consultation draft of the publication.