A DEVELOPER has today released its vision for a major housing development on the edge of Winchester.
Bloor Homes has unveiled a masterplan for South Winchester Golf Course, with plans for a park and ride, a primary school, a tennis facility, and a large country park.
The masterplan shows there will be around 1,000 homes and that half the site will be retained as green space.
The land, which is 170 acres and will be called Manor Parks, is not currently earmarked for housing so will be looking to be included in Winchester's emerging Local Plan. It's on the Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA), which is a developers' wishlist. On the latest version, the site capacity was given as 1,034 homes.
READ MORE: Winchester City Council publish latest SHELAA developers wishlist
Bloor Homes acquired the freehold of the golf course in 2021, but reached an agreement with previous owner Crown Golf that the club will be allowed to remain open until at least 2026.
James Matcham, strategic land director at Bloor Homes, said: “We’re excited to unveil our vision for the South Winchester Golf Course, known as Manor Parks.
“Manor Farm is the historic name of the area, which later became the South Winchester Golf Course. Many of the features of the farm, such as the distinctive topography, wetland areas, and tree groups, were retained within the golf course design. We would like to maintain the memory of the farm in the name of the new neighbourhood, but we will also retain these distinctive features in the design of the new community.
“Although the design of the new neighbourhood is at a very early stage, it is clear that parkland will be a defining feature.
“We feel that our plans for a low-carbon community, including 40 per cent affordable housing, a new primary school, community tennis facilities, park and ride and local community hub match the vision of the emerging Winchester Local Plan and we’re hoping to work with the council to deliver much needed new homes in this logical, sustainable and beautiful place.”
Bloor Homes is planning a series of themed webinar events over the coming months, the first of which will be held at 7pm on Wednesday July 26.
After July 26, the scheme is certain to be controversial and the Chronicle is seeking local reaction.
Cllr Jan Warwick, who represents the Badger Farm and Oliver's Battery ward for the Conservatives, said: “These latest plans for the South Winchester Golf Club site were unexpected. I understand Bloor Homes have an option on the golf course and the site is included in the Winchester City Council’s SHELAA document but as club members had been reassured we did not expect plans to be brought forward so early on.
"It is really important to understand if Cllr Porter intends to include this site in this year’s revised Winchester City Council local plan. Clearly with the plans for the nearby Bushfield Camp moving at a pace more development here will heap pressure on the already congested road network, local biodiversity and healthcare services. I will work with my fellow councillors to oppose these plans.”
Fellow city councillor Brian Laming, a Liberal Democrat, said: "The landowners put it forward as a housing site to be allocated in the emerging Local Plan. It was not allocated and is unlikely to be."
Cllr Adrian Brophy, a Liberal Democrat who was elected to the city council in May, said: "I know Oliver's Battery residents are really concerned about Bloor Homes's intentions and I'm with them on that. We do have extra protection because the site isn't in the current local plan. Cllr Jackie Porter and the Liberal Democrat cabinet also decided that it shouldn't be in the draft of the new local plan that was put out for consultation as recently as last November. This proposal might be Bloor Homes's plan - but it's not in the council's plan."
Cllr David Kirkby, chairman of Oliver's Battery Parish Council, said: "As far as Oliver’s Battery Parish Council is aware this site is not going to be included in the emerging Local Plan."
The golf club opened in the 1990s after it was previously Manor Farm. The historical farm structures were incorporated into the club buildings.
For more details, visit manor-parks.com.
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