The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), the developers, have now produced their Masterplan for the development of the Barracks site (see https://democracy.winchester.gov.uk/documents/s30797/CAB3473%20Appendix%20SJM%20Masterplan-FINAL.pdf)
On 12th February, Vice-Chair, David Tozer, presented the position of the Parish Council to the public meeting of the Winchester City Council (WCC) Cabinet. The Parish Council stressed three main points:
- it has never opposed new housing on the existing, developed part of the Barracks site
- it continues to have grave concerns that any endorsement of the Masterplan is highly premature, pending the outcome of the public examination by a planning inspector of the WCC’s own emerging local plan, that governs considerations around the site’s development (Policy W2) and the definition of the settlement gap between Winchester and Littleton (Policy NE7)
- the reluctance to endorse the Candidate Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) covering the Northern Fields, a matter that the Parish Council has consistently argued strongly for
After over an hour’s discussion, the Cabinet agreed to endorse the DIO’s Concept Masterplan and to defer taking a decision on the acceptance of the Candidate SINC until after consideration of an anticipated more detailed outline planning application from the DIO.
[A recording of the meeting is available on WCC’s website at: https://democracy.winchester.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MID=4670].
The Parish Council is highly concerned about the deferral of the status of the Candidate SINC because it increases the likelihood of development being allowed on the Northern Fields. Additionally, an endorsement of the proposed Masterplan seems too soon, as it could conflict with any recommendations from the Local Plan Inspector.
Whilst this is disappointing, the Cabinet were at pains to make clear that the Masterplan was flexible and could only be regarded as showing a ‘direction of travel’. There is potentially still scope to modify it, which makes the imminent next round of DIO’s engagement with the local community vital (details to be announced in due course) in order to ensure as far as possible we get a development that sufficiently benefits this northern part of Winchester which is currently experiencing a variety of pressures.