A Solution Without A Problem

The site was allocated in the 2013 Winchester District Local plan (Policy WT3) as an ‘employment site’ and has since been included in the Regulation 18 Local Plan – Winchester Town Development Allocations as ‘high quality flexible business and employment space, an innovation/education hub and creative industries’, however, a number of the proposed buildings do not seem to fit within this description, most obviously the proposed student accommodation block and the hotel.

In relation to the student accommodation block, there are serious concerns that the site is very remote from the main university campus and from the city centre and will involve students having to walk (potentially late at night) through the residential area of Badger Farm as well as on potentially dangerous remote footpaths.   There are empty sites in the centre of Winchester that would be much better suited to the construction of student accommodation.  Having a large number of students living on the site will also increase the demand for local services including the doctors’ surgery in Badger Farm.  There doesn’t appear to be any provision at present to address this.

Commercial property sector experts suggest that the commercial property market is currently experiencing greater supply than demand in the Winchester area.  There are empty premises in the city centre (e.g. the buildings which Hampshire County Council is disposing of) and it is generally hard to find tenants for these buildings.  More thought should be given to what is actually needed by the local community and Winchester more generally.  It's highly questionable as to whether this commercial space is actually required.  If there were be any development it needs to be addressing a local need and has to demonstrate a clear benefit to the city and district.

Policy WT3 of the adopted Local Plan Part 1 stipulates that any development should a) deliver necessary social, economic or environments benefits and b) not otherwise be accommodated within or around Winchester, does not compete or detract from the town centre, is compatible with the provision made elsewhere through this strategy, and reflects other policy statements prepared by the Council including the Vision for Winchester.  Our view is that these plans do not comply with either of these stipulations.