Together, We Can Save Bushfield Camp.
Bushfield Camp is a 49 acre haven on the outskirts of Winchester that has emerged as a vital sanctuary for wildlife.
What are the proposals for Bushfield Camp?
There are plans for office buildings, student accommodation, a hotel, retail, cafés, restaurants and a multi-storey car park for 1,055 cars. Buildings would range from two to four storeys high. The plans have been designed to attract over 3,000 individuals. This is in excess of the entire population of Badger Farm and would generate at least 4,500 additional car journeys per day.
Why Save Bushfield Camp?
Traffic
Traffic
Traffic
The developers project an astounding 4,500 additional car journeys daily, unleashing a torrent of traffic upon the roads and this estimate may prove a conservative figure, given the glaring inadequacy of alternative transport options. Such a deluge of vehicles threatens to suffocate an already overwhelmed area, intensifying the congestion that grips it. School buses from neighbouring villages like Compton, Shawford, Otterbourne, and Twyford would struggle even more to get children to school on time and emergency vehicles would grapple to get to and from Winchester A&E.
Nature
Traffic
Traffic
Bushfield has been designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). It's pulsating with life, hosting thriving species such as the Common lizard, Slow Worm, Glowworms and a multitude of birds, including Warblers, Fieldfare, Tawny owl and Woodpecker. Badgers roam freely, 11 species of bat hum with nocturnal activity. The site holds critical significance for Hazel Dormice, already grappling with a 70% decline due to habitat loss. There's an abundance of wildflowers and several species that are on the conservation red list.
Landscape
Landscape
Landscape
As it stands, the current proposals outline structures reaching up to four stories in height. Contrast this with the former military building, a mere two stories tall, still standing on the site. The proposed buildings would loom twice as high, marking an unprecedented leap in scale of the site. This monumental increase surpasses any prior development on the site and dwarfs anything currently adorning the southern skyline of Winchester.
Demand
Landscape
Landscape
The abundance of vacant commercial spaces in and around Winchester's city centre paints a stark reality: finding tenants for these buildings is often tough. It's time to pause and reflect on what the local community really needs, not just for the immediate future but for the enduring vitality of Winchester as a whole. The need for additional commercial space on this site is shrouded in doubt.
I want to prevent this unnecessary development, when we already have empty shop space in the town centre and the huge increase in traffic on this side of Winchester where the infrastructure already is inadequate.
Local resident
