Thank you to the 280 people who joined our online virtual ‘demo’ against the Royaldown 5,000 homes greenfield development proposal on Sunday 28th February. Speakers representing a range of organisations spoke at the start of the presentation and answered questions from residents.
Please Note: The Save South Winchester Campaign Group will share insights and guidance on how to respond to the Winchester City Council Local Plan consultation with you by mid-March. This will include details of our preferred sustainable Option 5 in the Homes for All question.
The stunning Royaldown video can be viewed here: https://flic.kr/p/2kFMY41
The ‘demo’ can be viewed here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xco3cxnvu7o5wsu/Demo.mp4?dl=0
If you don’t want to watch the ‘demo’ here is a brief summary of the main points:
The Polls:
1. Should local policy be to build on brownfield sites before greenfield development?
97% said YES
2. Should South Winchester have a greenbelt?
95% said YES
Steve Brine MP (Winchester and Chandlers Ford)
· Winchester City Council is the decision-making body for the Local Plan
· It is important we have a thriving, successful local economy and it is important we protect what makes us want to live here
· The need for a development of anything like this scale has yet to be remotely established
· There is considerable uncertainty that a scheme on this scale would make a significant contribution to the needs of the district due to the slow build out rate
Cllr Jackie Porter Winchester City Council Portfolio Holder for the Built Environment
· Winchester City Council is consulting on the Local Plan for development for the next 20 years.
· Anyone can place a proposal on the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA)
· The City Council has a statutory duty to record the SHELAA as stated by the proposer
· The next stage of the Local Plan will be when Winchester City Council draws up its first draft to identify where land for 2,700 homes needed by 2038 will be allocated.
· New large Major Development Areas despite the claims of developers, are not only slow to plan, but slow to build too.
· You must put your views on the options for housing into the current Strategic Issues and Priorities consultation on the www.localplan.winchester.gov.uk
· It’s Your Place, Your Plan. Deadline midnight 12 April
Felicity Roe Director of Culture, Communities and Business at Hampshire County Council
· Royaldown was placed on the SHELAA list and the developer was wrong to say it had the support of the county council.
· Hampshire CC have given no formal consideration to release the land and would not do so unless approached by Winchester City Council as part of the need for strategic land supply.
· HCC wrote to the Royaldown land promoter to say this land is not available for housing development. HCC have no proposal to do anything but farm that land.
Tessa Robertson Chairman of the Dever Society
· Has been fighting plans for a 12,500-home new town at Micheldever Station for almost 30 years
· New towns had been shown to "suck” investment away from existing places.
· New towns are the worst option to meet housing needs and we are calling on Winchester City Council to reject them
Caroline Dibden Vice-President of Hampshire CPRE the Countryside Charity
· Suggested a more sustainable housing option than the 1-4 listed in the consultation. This preferred option could be “Option 5” *
· Called for the area around south Winchester to be part of a proposed South Hampshire Green Belt
· https://www.change.org/p/protect-south-hampshire-s-countryside
· *A better alternative to Royaldown would focus on brownfield and previously developed land in the larger settlements. This would meet the Council’s own aspirations to minimise the district’s carbon footprint, something we all support.
Chat and Questions during the ‘demo’ can be viewed here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8hyapr4kbtpc8e2/Demo%20Chat.txt?dl=0
The Save South Winchester Team