WE THE UNDERSIGNED ARE OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT ‘KNOWLEDGE PARK’ CONCEPT MASTER PLAN FOR WINCHESTER’S BUSHFIELD CAMP

Winchester City Council are considering the approval of the Bushfield Camp Concept Masterplan on Wednesday 21st June 2023 which will facilitate the progression of planning for mixed-use development of 20 hectares allowing for:

o   Multiple buildings in excess of 2, up to 4, storeys

o   Student accommodation 

o   Hotel

o   Retail, cafés & restaurants

o   Entertainment

o   Multi-storey car parks for 900 cars

o   A one way loop road with separate entrance and exit which will extend through undeveloped arable land and alongside the southern end of Whiteshute Ridge on the Clarendon Way

 

Bushfield is defined in Winchester’s Spatial Strategy as ‘UNIQUE’ and ‘SENSITIVE’ by the City Council itself.

Bushfield’s location is within the Winchester-Compton street local gap, bordered by the South Downs National Park and the River Itchen Special Area of Conservation.

Areas of Bushfield itself, and neighbouring Whiteshute Ridge, are Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. 

For the past 50 years Bushfield has been naturally ‘rewilding’, questioning the accuracy of it being described as a derelict, brownfield site. During this time, it has been enjoyed by the community, valuing its green, recreational open space, gaining further appreciation during the pandemic.

The housing areas of Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery are to the north of Bushfield with Badger Farm Road as the only route providing access.

The Master Plan has been designed to attract at least an additional 2,500-3,500 individuals and their various means of transport to the area - a figure that is in excess of the population of Badger Farm (2,463 at 2021). 

We have serious concerns with regard to: the pressure this proposal will place on our roads, including traffic volume, local parking and congestion, and as a consequence emergency service response; increased pressure to our infrastructure; damage to and increased demand of this unique environment ; a changed, incongruent, substantially reduced sense of space and the visual impact of this proposal from bordering areas and high points such as St Catherine’s Hill; the safety and wellbeing of the local community as a consequence of the added pressures and loss of an already valued space; a lack of sufficient accessible dialogue with the developer with a lack of vital, transparent and consistent information within its consultations to enable a properly informed response.

Previous site assessments of Bushfield for Winchester City Council have concluded ‘THE SCOPE FOR ANY FORM OF BUILT DEVELOPMENT IS LIMITED’.

WE CALL ON WINCHESTER CITY COUNCIL TO:

o   NOT AGREE TO THE BUSHFIELD CAMP CONCEPT MASTERPLAN AND ACCOMPANYING TECHNICAL DOCUMENT

o   TAKE ACCOUNT AND RESPOND TO OUR CONCERNS AS ABOVE, AND, AS RAISED WITH THE DEVELOPER

o   REQUIRE THE DEVELOPERS TO SHARE EVIDENCE FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY, ECOLOGICAL, BIODIVERSITY, SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFIT CLAIMS AND HOW THEY WERE REACHED

o   TO CONSIDER THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AND ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WINCHESTER CITY COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC AIM:

'TO STRIVE TO BE AN EXEMPLAR IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR OWN ESTATE, HELPING TO ENSURE OTHERS DO THE SAME'

‘This loss to biodiversity has continued within the last decade due to agricultural management, inappropriate development.... The City Council has an important role to play in helping to reverse the loss at a local level.’’ Winchester City Council Biodiversity Action Plan 2021‘