Government rejects homes at Barton Farm (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Councillor Ian Tait thinks it is an “absolute disaster” darling, well he seems to have a reputation for making bad decisions, arrested for stopping the Police do their job, good decision, I think not. So now we have put him to one side, thank God somebody can make a decent decision. Life isn’t all around social housing, I was brought up in Winchester and I knew my first home would never be in Winchester ‘cause I knew I couldn’t afford it and that was back in 1976, things haven’t changed that much, it is just expectations are getting higher and higher. Teach people you can’t always have all you want, you have to work long and hard for it.

I moved to Winchester in 1978 and still live here. Then it was social housing in Stanmore, Weeke, Winnal and Highcliffe, with a large element of military housing in Harestock and prison officers in Fulflood. Now many of the "social" houses and flats have been bought by their owners and sold to property speculators who rent them to students. Bring them back into their original use, Councillor Tait, and don't build on greenfield land which the infrastructure can't support instead.

If that is true then it is really good news that came as something of a wonderful surprise. When the scheme was given the backing of the leader of the council against the wishes of residents then I thought it might be done and dusted. I have no doubt that Cala Homes will try again supported by messrs Beckett and Tait but that should be some way away yet.

Don't tar all young people with the same brush. I am not lucky enough to afford to buy a house even though i have worked full time since i was 16 so social housing is the only option for me and many others. I dont see why i should have to move away from the area and my family and support network just because i dont earn enough money. I have done things the right way and still get nowhere. Regardless of barton farm the issue lies with the council. They are going to have to develop somewhere to meet housing needs and police their system better because right now it seems you get penalised for doing things correctly! I do wonder if you would be saying the same things if it was your children trying to move out and start their own life and having nowhere to go and being faced with staying at home forever or moving completely away from the area....

It worries me that this issue is over-simplified down to Big Houses Vs Social Housing. What about those who need bigger houses due to an expanding family? Or those stuck in private rent with no suitable housing available. I would have welcomed this development, it would have brought money, jobs and new life into a city that is becoming stagnated through the actions of those trying to protect it.

The development would have benefited winchester in the long run but that thought seems to have been overlooked its a shame because the situation will only get worse.

I would like to thank all the councillors who voted against the Barton Farm development
There have always been housing issues as I full remember when I was younger and I am so glad you didn't fall for Cala Homes 'get rich quick scheme'. Cala homes appear to be a predatory company. I believe they previously took the Conservative government to court when they dropped the Labour party's previous sustainable development targets and again took the current government to court when they said that councils were not obliged to adhere to the targets.
Rural development starts by promising schools and nursery's etc (mere peanuts to the profit that is made from building 800 homes), thankfully the council weren't having this. Other schemes developmet companies pull are when then they appear to put in a planning request for twice as many homes as they intended to build so that once rejected they could resubmit a proposed plan that would go gradually lower (towards their intended building target) in the hope that the council would increasingly look stubborn and unhelpful. The argument could be made that our children will never grow up to see the countryside if Cala have their way, as it will be concreted over, a house but no life. I don't want to see our beautiful countryside disappear, unfortunately there are a couple of Winchester Councillors who do, but thankfully the majority understand what is right in voting against this plan, and hopefully any future plans made by Cala. Please see the following lyrics from the Joni Mitchell hit Big Yellow Taxi, these are my feelings too:

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've got
‘Til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Thank you, and please don't let Cala ruin our country by dubious means.