Consultation on draft Local Plan now open
The consultation for Winchester City Council’s draft ‘Regulation 18’ Local Plan is now open and will run until midnight on 14 December 2022.
The council is encouraging all residents, businesses, and organisations in the Winchester district to have their say. The draft plan sets out the council’s vision for future development across the Winchester district – outside the South Down’s National Park. It covers Winchester city, the market towns, villages, and countryside. Respondents are being asked to comment on the policies included and the site allocations.
The council is hosting several public drop-in sessions at a number of locations across the district and encourage residents to attend to find out more about how the Local Plan addresses some major challenges.
Residents can attend any of the following drop-in sessions:
Monday 07 November, 2.30-7pm - The Worthy’s Jubilee Hall, Kings Worthy
Friday 11 November, 2.30-7pm – Whiteley Town Council, First Floor Meadowside Leisure Centre
Friday 18 November, 2.30-7pm – Bishop’s Waltham Jubilee Hall, Bishop’s Waltham
Tuesday 22 November, 2.30-7pm – St. Giles Suite, Mercure Winchester Wessex Hotel
Thursday 24 November, 2.30-7pm -Colden Common Community Centre, Colden Common
Tuesday 29 November, 3.30-7pm – Littleton Memorial Hall, Winchester
For more information, visit www.localplan.winchester.gov.uk
Some key themes included within the Local Plan are:
The Climate Emergency and Cutting Carbon
The biggest challenge of all is Climate Change. This draft plan is setting the highest possible standards for environmental design for homes and commercial development – its policies are designed to cut carbon and ensure it is safe and easy to walk, cycle and use other low carbon methods of transport.
Affordable Homes
This draft plan takes a new approach to affordable housing targets – replacing an expectation for affordable housing with a requirement for truly affordable homes that developers must achieve.
The Natural Environment
This local plan takes the approach of ‘brownfield first’ – both in prioritising the use of previously developed land over green fields, but also in the phasing of development. The sites proposed are those which have the best sustainability, can deliver affordable homes, and have the least environmental impact on our district. Over 90% of the sites that developers put forward have not been included in this plan.
In total, the draft Plan includes over 80 policies covering other themes including the historic environment, creating a vibrant economy and biodiversity and open space amongst others.
Cllr Jackie Porter, Cabinet Member for Place and the Local Plan says:
“We are very grateful for the feedback we have received so far which has helped us to develop this plan, but we are determined to make it even better and stronger and to do that we need your input. The plan, ‘Your Place, your Plan’, depends on it. I cannot emphasise enough how important your feedback is, so please do take the time to take part in this consultation and attend our drop in events. We are very much looking forward to hearing your views.”
The consultation is open from 2 November until 14 December and can be found by visiting www.localplan.winchester.gov.uk. Views should be submitted on the website but alternative ways are available if this is difficult for respondents. The draft Regulation 18 Local Plan document can be viewed on the website with direct links to the topics and policies. You can complete the consultation here.