Barton Farm developer appeals over delays (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Barton Farm developer appeals over delays

11:00am Thursday 29th April 2010 in Barton Farm By Andrew Napier

Protesters by the threatened land

THE developer of the 2,000-home Barton Farm scheme has appealed because Winchester planners are taking too long to decide the plan.

CALA Homes is unhappy about the city council’s non-determination within the deadline for the controversial scheme.

CALA proposes the homes, some 800 of which will be social housing, as well as shops, a primary school and open spaces on farmland off Andover Road which would be re-routed through the new suburb.

Mike Emett, CALA land director, said yesterday: “We felt we had to take the scheme to appeal. As things stand there is no guarantee the city council would have determined the application positively. We were concerned about the length of time it was taking, so we felt we had no choice but to appeal.

“Our scheme is compliant with national and local policies and we think we have a good chance of winning the appeal.”

The scheme is hugely controversial with some 800 objections to the biggest expansion of Winchester since Badger Farm was first approved in the 1970s.

A public inquiry is being arranged for September. The city council planning committee is due to meet in June to decide whether or not it would have approved the scheme had CALA not appealed. If the councillors say they would have approved it then the public inquiry is unlikely to be held.

The final decision on the scheme will be made not by the planning inspector but by the Secretary of State, because of the size of the application.

CALA has also resubmitted an identical application to run concurrently with the appeal. Mr Emett said: “It allows us to continue the dialogue in the hope that a positive decision locally can be achieved before the public inquiry takes place.”

CALA hopes to secure planning permission this year, start work in 2011-12, with the first homes going up in 2012-13 and completion by 2023.

Details of CALA’s appeal were placed on the council planning website but at the end of a list of some 1,000 documents. They were spotted by Michael Harmer, of Halls Farm Close, Harestock.

A spokeswoman denied the issue was being hidden away during the election campaigns because of its political sensitivity. She said: “We were not keeping anything secret,” adding it would be made more accessible.

Gavin Blackman, chairman of the Save Barton Farm Group, said: “CALA's latest move to apply to the Secretary of State for determination on the grounds that the council has not made a decision on their planning application shows that CALA is determined to destroy this farmland despite the overwhelming opposition of Winchester residents.

“We trust that the City Council will again refuse CALA's application. Save Barton Farm Group will continue in the fight to save Barton Farm from CALA's massive development.”