3:15pm Wednesday 17th June 2009
SIR — The courage of the Church Commissioners in highlighting the disgraceful state of some of the land they own at Bushfield Down, particularly the former army camp area, is admirable (Chronicle letters, June 4).
Few admit failure so publicly. However, they should still be ashamed and must share responsibility for not having previously removed the remains of the redundant camp and restoring this countryside.
By leaving it unrestored, it has attracted fly tipping, further degrading Winchester’s green setting.
The Church Commissioner’s spokesman, Steve Melligan, is right when he says “something needs to be done”.
However, his suggestion to replace a temporary eyesore by a permanent eyesore is surely wrong.
It is particularly disappointing that previous statements by the Church Commissioners and the city council imply that unless an industrial development (so-called ‘knowledge park’) is allowed on the scruffy camp area, then the whole of Bushfield Down will be threatened with development.
Somewhat ironically, there is the appearance of an ‘unholy alliance’ between the Church Commissioners and the city council against Winchester people concerned about their environment.
In a world experiencing global warming, and in an overcrowded country facing shortages of energy, water and food, many people think a better way forward would be to remove the redundant, derelict camp buildings and the fly-tipped rubbish and restore the whole of Bushfield Down.
After all, everything shown in the photo accompanying Mr Melligan’s letter can be recycled — including the steel, bricks, concrete and tarmac.
And community groups, and individuals such as I, would be willing to help clean up this important part of our city’s historic landscape setting.
Having only recently saved Bushfield from being concreted over for a park and ride site, we don’t want it threatened by even worse development.
As for the city council, shame on them for approving in principle the destruction of countryside at Barton Farm on the north side of Winchester.
But shame on us if we let them approve destruction rather than restoration of countryside at Bushfield on the south side of Winchester.
Keith Story, St Cross Road, Winchester.
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