Chairman's Message - TrustNews Spring 1999
George Burnett
I am sad to have to report the death of George Burnett who died on 14th December. A tribute to him is included in these pages.
The Heritage Centre
I am pleased to be able to tell you that at long last the lease of the Heritage Centre is now ours and that construction work is due to start on 18th January. It is estimated that the work will be completed by the end of May and that the first tenants will be moving in shortly afterwards. In the interim our Secretary will be operating from the home of the Treasurer who has very kindly found room for our office. Mail should continue to be sent to the Heritage Centre and an answering service will be available on 01962 851664.
The cost of the conversion and refurbishment will be in the order of £35,000. About £15,000 will be off-set by a grant from the City.
The financial cost of the delay in finalising the lease is now being assessed and efforts will then be made to recoup this loss.
Development Control
The Pagoda House, St James' Lane,
drawn by Nick Bourne as part of Neighbourhood Studies
The pressure on the perimeter of the City is unrelenting. The hotspots at the moment are:
Morn Hill, Percy Hobbs Roundabout. Installations for 21 white-painted dish aerials up to 16.4 metres (54 ft. approx.) in diameter, with two subterranean equipment buildings: educational buildings for Intech (8,500 sq. metres): 120 bedroom hotel (7,500 sq.metres): with vehicular access, parking, security fencing and landscaping. All this is on the site of the existing scrap and knackers yards. A 16.4 metre dish would stand as high as the top of the sword on King Alfred 's statue in the Broadway.
Land to the east of St. Cross Road. and south of Five Bridges Road. Provision of sports facilities and changing rooms for Princes Mead School. This is on meadow land behind the ribbon development from Ghost Corner to the railway bridge under St. Cross Road.
The Trust views these latest planning applications with great concern and has objected to both. The aerial farm at Morn Hill will be highly visible from many points on the landscape setting for Winchester. This is quite unacceptable on such a prominent feature. We are sad to have to object yet again to an application which could solve Intech's search for a permanent home but the price to be paid in landscape terms is far too high. The application went to the Planning Committee on 28th January.
If planning permission is given for either of these sites we are concerned that the wrong signals may be sent to other developers waiting in the wings with land on the perimeter or with sites nearer the City centre. It may also make it more difficult for the Planning Committee to refuse consent if they have already set precedents. As it is we are stuck with the existing planning consent for an hotel at Morn Hill which is the legacy of an injudicious consent given in 1987. We must hope that wiser counsels will now prevail and that both these applications will be refused.
There are other possible threats to the perimeter. The City has plans to create an outdoor leisure centre at Bushfield but the details are still confidential (why, I cannot imagine) so details are not available. The County, together with the City, are also considering another Park & Ride car park in this area. there are six possible sites but consultation has not yet started . Our Development Control Panels will be watching the situation, as will our traffic team, and will then report to the Trust's Council when the proposals are clear.
The other major known threat is at Barton Farm on the northern perimeter of the City and to the east of the Andover Road. Some of the land belongs to Winchester College who are anxious to sell it for development. No time frame has been given.
The Broadway & Friarsgate Area
The Trust has had a briefing on the outline plan by the Chief Planning Officer. Not all the details were available at the time and the Trust has reservations about the scheme as presented. We are preparing a letter to the Chief Planning Officer setting out our views and ideas. At the time of writing this is not completed and therefore at this stage I will say no more. But be assured we will monitor progress carefully.
Other Issues
Heritage Centre, Water Colour by Hugh Casson
The Trust is also keeping a watch on:
- The Future of Winchester Study
- City traffic management and cycle routes
- High Street lighting
More on Development Control will be found elsewhere in the Newsletter.
Townscape & Landscape Study
This is nearing completion and, when published, will be a valuable tool in the battle to prevent unbridled and damaging development in and around the City. On publication it will be available in the Library. I hope that by the time the next Newsletter goes to press we will have more information on a publication date.
St. Paul's Hospital
As you are probably aware a serious fire broke out on Friday 1st January at about 1.00 p.m. causing major damage to the roof of the former Workhouse building. It was probably started by squatters. The buildings are still the property of CAPITECH, but are insured by the future developer, Gleesons. Work is shortly to be put in hand to secure and weatherproof the building. Conversion work will start in the Spring once planning consent is given.
Dates for your Diary
In response to views expressed at the AGM in November we are to hold a Members Night in early summer in the Milner Hall. This will give us an opportunity to tell you what the current issues are and to hear your views. Further details will be circulated to you in due course.
The AGM will be held on Monday 1st November, time and venue yet to be announced.
Best wishes to you all for 1999.
Stop Press:
The new study:
'Winchester City and its Setting' is now available at the local study library, Jewry Street Library.