Development plan procedure in Winchester branded as “tragic and damaging”

Patrick Davies made the comments as Winchester City Council's cabinet approved the next phase of consultation on the development plan.

The meeting was brought forward after the government announced new housing targets, increasing the number of homes earmarked for the borough of Winchester each year from 676 to 1,099, an increase of 423 or 62 per cent.

The plan envisages the development of large sites such as Sir John Moore Barracks and Bushfield Camp, as well as smaller sites in the southern communities and market towns.

The cabinet meeting on Monday, August 19, lasted four hours.

Mr Davies, former leader of the Labour group on the city council, was unhappy with the way the process has been handled so far. He said: “The risk is that we go to the public (consultation) with a completely misleading document that they are asked to comment on. There is no proper reference to the letter you received from the new Secretary of State.”

“I think it is a terrible waste of time and resources to embark on this completely fictitious venture as is being proposed. It is tragic and damaging to continue in the way now proposed. I do not think the Planning Inspectorate will allow this nonsense to proceed. You need to think carefully about how to proceed.”

Patrick Davis (Image: Contributed)

READ MORE: Winchester Conservatives support Liberal Democrats in speeding up development plan process

Andrew Fraser-Urquhart KC, who advised the council throughout the planning process, said: “It would be wrong to say we are misleading the public. We are fulfilling legal and policy obligations.”

Council leader Martin Tod added: “To describe it as a completely misleading document is utter nonsense. We face an immense challenge. It has taken us three years to get to this point. The plan sets out a new vision for the development of the borough. Our officers have kept going as national policy has changed. I firmly believe this is the right plan for our borough.”

Cabinet meeting (Image: Newsquest)

Other issues discussed included the site for 50-60 homes at Brightlands in Sutton Scotney, which was only included later, and the sports facilities included in the plan.

After the meeting, Andrew Eymond, Chairman of Sport Winchester, said: “The city has not provided any new land for sport for over 50 years, despite the city growing significantly during that time and record levels of participation from all sections of the population.”

“We believe that everyone would benefit from the provision of high quality, inspiring facilities that meet the needs of the community.”

Councillor Kelsie Learney said: “Our existing plan was agreed in 2013 and does not reflect the current situation or the climate emergency. The new plan strengthens climate change policy, which puts us in an excellent position to move forward quickly.”

Cllr Tod added: “Our borough has always placed an emphasis on preserving the past and planning for the future. We face new challenges. We need to ensure that the borough of Winchester is a place where people can thrive. I would like to thank the team of officers who have done an amazing job.”

The development plan will now be presented to the full council on Wednesday 28 August. If approved, a six-week public consultation will begin on Thursday 29 August.