Bar End Depot Drop-in event - Tuesday 8 March
Next week, Winchester City Council is hosting a public drop-in event to encourage local people to share views on the future use of the Bar End Depot site.
The council is inviting the community to provide feedback on what they would like to see featured on the site ahead of progressing marketing later this summer, in addition to explaining more about the potential for a healthcare use on the site.
Hobbs Rehabilitation have approached the council with a view to creating a neurological rehabilitation centre offering therapies for people with neurological conditions on a third of the site. This state-of-the-art facility would have the potential to create jobs and offer complementary facilities to those at The Pinder Trust’s Hydrotherapy Suite at Winchester Sport & Leisure Park.
Details of the event:
- Time / Date: Between 3pm and 7.30pm on Tuesday 8 March 2022
- Location: Winchester Sports and Leisure Park reception, Bar End Rd, Bar End, Winchester SO23 9NR
This latest event follows extensive previous engagement to develop a design framework for Bar End, in which over 1,000 responses were received and 70 face-to-face meetings were conducted. A shared vision was developed which allows for the provision for a mix of uses, green buffer zones, height restrictions, a convenience store, community facilities and permeability through the site to Winchester Sport & Leisure Park.
The first phase of realising this vision is already complete - with the launch of the new leisure centre bringing a wide-range of accessible facilities to Winchester including a 50m swimming pool and learner pool, multi-use sports hall, 200 station fitness suite and spinning studio, two exercise studios, four squash courts, Crussh café and a hydrotherapy suite.
Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, said:
“The opportunity to secure Hobbs Rehabilitation is in line with the council’s priorities, both around ensuring all residents’ health and wellbeing and in terms of creating jobs for local people. We are really keen to continue to collaborate with local people around potential uses for the depot site and would encourage people to give their feedback.”
Members of the project team will be available on the day to answer any questions and provide more details about how this fits in with the wider Bar End Design Framework. The team from Hobbs Rehabilitation will also be present to outline the specifics of their proposals.