New vision for Central Winchester Regeneration gets positive reaction from public
Around 250 people filled Winchester Guildhall last night (4 July) to hear about the vision for central Winchester. Proposals included:
- a new mixed-use quarter, including retail, market, commercial, cultural, housing and community uses to complement the city centre and serve the whole community
- plans for attractive buildings, streets and places, designed and laid out with a Winchester character and scale – described as “Winchesterness” throughout the community feedback sessions
- a range of active and restful spaces in the heart of the city, including the opening up of the brook to the east of the site developing a footprint for the way the public realm will be developed across the whole area
- Creating a new bus hub and routing buses away from The Broadway and High Street to allow for environmental improvements to accommodate markets and other street based activities.
The vision was presented to a formal meeting of the Council’s Informal Policy Group (IPG) by Marcus Adams from JTP, the architects and masterplanners appointed by Winchester City Council to work with the community to develop the vision and Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for the area.
Marcus Adams, Managing Partner, JTP said:
"This is one of the most extensive consultations we have been involved in. We’ve had significant involvement from a wide range of people and organisations which is a credit to the interest there is in this redevelopment. This is such an important part of the city. We are recommending a new, mixed use pedestrian friendly quarter; uniquely Winchester in the character of streets, spaces and buildings. There’s further work to be done to develop an SPD that will be flexible enough to evolve but definitive enough for a blue print."
Members of the audience were invited to give their comments and thoughts after JTP’s presentations. There was broad support for both the vision and the work JTP have done. Additional comments included support for initial work to re-route buses away from the High Street and requests for public involvement in some of the additional studies around transport, archaeology and how the area could be used ahead of the regeneration.
Cllr Horrill, Council Leader and Chair of the IPG, welcomed the vision and commented:
"We will do our very best to accommodate those things people most desire but of course it’s a balancing act and we will continue to consult to help get that balance right."
Progress with the SPD will be carried out during the summer, including further technical work on transport / parking, archaeology, flood risk and viability / commercial considerations and further discussions with key stakeholders and landowners.
The progress will be shared through a public consultation exhibition in the summer ahead of a formal six-week consultation in the autumn.
A final version of the SPD is expected to be approved by the Cabinet in early 2018. A copy of the broadsheet handout given out at the end of the meeting, and other information can be viewed at: www.centralwinchesterregen.co.uk.