Residents are objecting to major plans for 30 homes at Kings Worthy Court and House.
Developer SNG (Sovereign Network Group) had been consulting residents over its scheme to demolish Kings Worthy Court and convert Kings Worthy House.
The plans will see 24 homes replacing the former office building and six flats at the house.
Cllr Steve Cramoysan, who represents The Worthys ward on the city council, said: "It's good that the proposal includes keeping the Queen Anne building which is a part of the character of the area. Also the developer proposes that at least 40 per cent of the houses will be in the affordable homes category. On the other side, clearly some local people have concerns about the scale of the development, and its impact on the local infrastructure, and on their amenities. The public raised concerns about the impact on ecology and bio-diversity.
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“Initial responses from Winchester City Council’s environmental health team indicate concerns about noise levels in the property with windows open, and concerns about ventilation if windows are kept closed.
“The ecology team at Hampshire County Council, have raised concerns that the proposals which involve felling of some trees do not include sufficient plans for mitigation and will not achieve biodiversity net gain.
“Some of these issues should have been anticipated, so it is a surprise that the developer did not address these points as a result of pre-application advice. Only when these are all received, will we be able to see the full extent of the shortfall in the developer's planning application. The public may identify areas of concern that cause the case officer to ask consultees to revisit their views too.”
By Monday, January 29, six objections had been sent to Winchester City Council. One neutral comment was sent by The Worthys ward councillor Jackie Porter.
David James, of Court Road, said: “The vehicular access via Court Road is unacceptable and will create an increase in the volume of traffic that is totally unreasonable.
“With 30 dwellings that is likely to be 60-plus cars using a junction that was initially designed for 11 houses in Court Road. Cutting into Kings Worthy Court off Court Road significantly increases the risk of accidents and is also a hazard for pedestrians.
“I'm not against the sensible redevelopment of Kings Worthy Court, but I'm against this application. The project is not sensible, it's badly thought out and will have absolutely no benefit to the area.”
On the application's planning statement, it said: “The proposed development of 30 dwellings comprises the following: Conversion of Kings Worthy House into six two-bed flats; two two-bed maisonettes; seven two-bed houses; 12 three-bed houses; two three-bed bungalows; four four-bed houses.
“It is proposed that 40 per cent of the dwellings will be ‘affordable’ in line with local planning policy.
“The current tenants have left the main building and are now located solely in Kings Worthy House. Their lease ends in January 2024 following which the site will be vacant. Kings Worthy Court has been vacant since 2020.”
For more information about the plan, search 24/00103/FUL on Winchester City Council's online planning portal.
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