Barfield Close will be closed to traffic from January 9 for five months

Barfield Close will be closed to traffic from January 9 for five months during the next phase of construction of the Chesil Lodge extra-care building.

The closure, between the mini-roundabout outside the Chesil multi-storey car park and the north side of the tunnel on Barfield Close, is necessary for health and safety reasons while scaffolding is put up for cladding the building.

A pedestrian footpath will be maintained along Barfield Close but all vehicles will have to use Chesil Street as an alternative. Access to all premises south of the tunnel/ bridge will be maintained from Bar End Road.

The combination of a narrow road, large construction vehicles, park-and-ride buses and regular traffic to and from the multi-storey car park mean that it is safer to move the footpath temporarily to the other side of Barfield Close and route traffic along Chesil Street.

The £15m Chesil Lodge is due to be completed in autumn 2017 and will provide 52 extra-care flats on the site of the former Chesil surface park as part of the City Council’s commitment to provide 300 affordable homes between 2012 and 2022.

The City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing, Cllr Caroline Horrill said: “The scheme is funded by Winchester City Council, the Homes and Community Agency, Hampshire County Council and a local bequest.

“It means that older people, who may have had to live apart in later life as their care needs change, will have the opportunity to live in modern, well-designed flats.

“The homes will benefit Winchester’s elderly, vulnerable residents for many years, helping to prevent emergency hospital admissions and enable early discharge to reduce bed-blocking.”