Government climbdown on Barton Farm stance (From Hampshire Chronicle)

What a surprise! The inspector wanted to approve the outline plan, the council leaders approve of it (and are prepared to utilise a three line whip to enforce it) and this seems to be the "soft option" i.e. the government made us approve it. Anyone who lives locally (i.e. excluding most Conservative councillors who live in the old RDC towns and villages to the southwest) knows that this plan will overwhelm Winchester's creaking infrastructure (schools, trains, traffic etc.) whilst providing very few of the affordable homes that the city's workers desperately need and plenty of non-affordable homes for absentee landlords and London commuters that the city most definitely doesn't need

I am not sure where mjh lives but if he were to walk down Andover Road each morning as I do he would see that the infrastructure isn't creaking and in fact there are invariably free spaces in the station car park. No one forced a 3 line whip on me (a conservative cllr of 13 years standing for a city ward) mjh doesn't know what he is talking about. If mjh had looked at the planning app mjh would see that Barton Farm will provide a new school, community centre, health centre, allotments & plenty of play areas. As for affordable housing could I suggest that mjh actually read up on the subject before making such absurd comments.

iantait wrote:
I am not sure where mjh lives but if he were to walk down Andover Road each morning as I do he would see that the infrastructure isn't creaking and in fact there are invariably free spaces in the station car park. No one forced a 3 line whip on me (a conservative cllr of 13 years standing for a city ward) mjh doesn't know what he is talking about. If mjh had looked at the planning app mjh would see that Barton Farm will provide a new school, community centre, health centre, allotments & plenty of play areas. As for affordable housing could I suggest that mjh actually read up on the subject before making such absurd comments.

Councillor Tait is a long term supporter of this scheme, so his vitriolic comments are to be expected. The station car park always used to be full by 8am, so perhaps the recession is biting. I live a few hundred yards from Barton Farm, which includes 800 "affordable" homes (i.e. 80% of market rents!) which will almost certainly be way beyond the reach of Winchester's key workers. I have examined Cala Homes planning application at length and in detail, and the main thing that strikes me is that despite the medical/shopping centre there are so few on-site places of employment for over 4000 people, so a lot of people will commute out. Why not free up the many family homes in Winchester currently in student multi-occupation? Why not introduce a restriction on Winchester developments (as they do in the Peak District) restricting home ownership to people who work locally? Why do we have to have so many small private houses costing over £500k to provide affordable homes; why not just build the latter as they are so needed? This development is a waste of high-quality farmland based upon invalid population growth statistics, and must be stopped for Winchester's sake.

iantait wrote:
I am not sure where mjh lives but if he were to walk down Andover Road each morning as I do he would see that the infrastructure isn't creaking and in fact there are invariably free spaces in the station car park. No one forced a 3 line whip on me (a conservative cllr of 13 years standing for a city ward) mjh doesn't know what he is talking about. If mjh had looked at the planning app mjh would see that Barton Farm will provide a new school, community centre, health centre, allotments & plenty of play areas. As for affordable housing could I suggest that mjh actually read up on the subject before making such absurd comments.

And yet you think Andover Road will not be any more congested? I walk down it every morning at 7am on the way to work,granted not a hell of a lot of traffic at that time,but consider 2000 homes on Barton farm,with most households being a two car family or more,you are looking at a possible 4000 extra cars going through historic Winchester!
So what are the plans for the roads with the extra traffic? If I had my way Winchester would be pedestrianised,just like historic cities like Oxford,but no,traffic is king in Winchester!

Do we really need politician like this in our great city?

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I agree with everyone but Ian Tait. Is he using this forum to speak as a Councillor or a resident? If 2,000 more homes are built plus the Compton site in Winchester we are in trouble. I agree Andover Road is blocked at peak times and the station car park is full, you normally get run over if they can not get a space on the Andover Road one if you are walking. 2,000 plus homes, then eventually 4,000 plus kids when will this stop? As for building a school on Barton Farm, we already have temporary structures being erected on our current schools because they can not cope. How big will this school be? Where are all the people coming from? Do we need Ian Tait as a Councillor, arrested for obstructing the Police and supporting even more tattoo parlours in Winchester, I think not, but last time I said something about him, I think he got it removed via Hampshire Chronicle, as abuse, so I doubt this will be on for long.

In response to winchres, I was commenting on the accusation that the (con) elected members were forced to vote for the approval of the Core Strategy of the LDF. I wasn't!! As to other comments, as I live close to the Barton Farm site I was commenting as a resident. I have only lived in Winchester for 48 years so clearly don't have much idea of what is happening. By the way I don't have a tattoo but thought that tattoo shops were legal but maybe I am wrong. As to having asked for adverse comment to be removed from the HC site, if only I was that important (no I haven't asked for comment to be removed). It's great that winchres, mjh & stevie G B hide their identity but if they want to email me direct then we can continue this debate between ourselves.

winchres wrote:
I agree with everyone but Ian Tait. Is he using this forum to speak as a Councillor or a resident? If 2,000 more homes are built plus the Compton site in Winchester we are in trouble. I agree Andover Road is blocked at peak times and the station car park is full, you normally get run over if they can not get a space on the Andover Road one if you are walking. 2,000 plus homes, then eventually 4,000 plus kids when will this stop? As for building a school on Barton Farm, we already have temporary structures being erected on our current schools because they can not cope. How big will this school be? Where are all the people coming from? Do we need Ian Tait as a Councillor, arrested for obstructing the Police and supporting even more tattoo parlours in Winchester, I think not, but last time I said something about him, I think he got it removed via Hampshire Chronicle, as abuse, so I doubt this will be on for long.

I heartily agree. Barton Farm is predicated on the "need" for 400 homes per year in the city for the next 20 years, of which it will provide half. Some people in these homes will be retired, but this presumes that 400 net new jobs per annum will be created in the city (or the occupants will have to commute out!). Who is going to create these jobs when the hospital is contracting, the police HQ will probably move out, councils are shedding staff etc. Enough people commute into or out of Winchester as it stands; we don't want to increase this. The demand for these houses is based upon spurious figures dreamed up somewhere. With its housing list, what the city needs is affordable (council) homes; Barton Farm will NOT provide them.

Barton Farm WILL provide affordable council homes.
There will be 800 of them - just to be clear; they will be rented out to people on the city council waiting list

Yves1977 wrote:
Barton Farm WILL provide affordable council homes. There will be 800 of them - just to be clear; they will be rented out to people on the city council waiting list

These 800 "affordable" homes made available for rent will meet the current Government criterion of 80% of market rents. That means well over £1000 per month in Winchester for a three bedroom house. Which key workers can afford that?