Four Storeys High

The proposals include buildings up to 4 storeys high. The former military building, which is still on site, is approximately 2 storeys high, so the proposed buildings would stand at twice this height – a significant increase in terms of anything that has previously been at the site and significantly larger than anything currently on the southern side of Winchester.  

The Development Allocations document specifically notes at 12.41 that “Prominent highly visible structures would likely be visually distracting and unsympathetic, especially as they could draw attention from the assets of effect the skyline” and section IX of the Policy W5 stipulates that there must be consideration for the “Winchester Compton Street settlement gap and views from and to Winchester in terms of the height, view corridors and the scale, massing and appearance of buildings. . . ”

There are significant concerns about the visual impact this would have on the surrounding area including views from the South Downs National Park.  While the developers have presented a Landscape and Visual Assessment, it appears from the details they have provided that the vantage point they chose in the National Park was only half way up St. Catherine’s Hill rather than from the summit.  The graphics provided on the current proposals also suggest that the treeline at Bushfield Camp is higher than all of the proposed buildings on the site.  It seems highly unlikely that this could be the case particularly in relation to four storey buildings.  

These issues have added to the distrust of residents as to whether the information presented by the developers is an honest representation of the likely impact.