In the last few months Barton Farm has come back into the news here Cllr Keith Wood Winchester City Council Member for Headbourne Worthy – Sparsholt Ward explains the current situation.
“Barton Farm is back on the agenda though in truth it has been there since the Council first agreed it as a Reserve Site for housing some 8 years ago.
It's an issue now because the Government requires the Council to identify land for 2000 houses as part of the new Winchester Local Plan.
It has been suggested that we ignore this "advice" but if we do so, the Government will determine regardless what is built where, which could lead to a free for all.
We take the view that it is better to try to control our future rather than hand it over to others who may have less concern for Winchester.
Trouble is, staying as we are is not an option.
We are therefore proposing that brown field sites are used first and that any major scheme is not begun until it is clearly required.
Unless the Government change their rules; it’s unlikely that any major greenfield building will be required before 2015.
Meanwhile we will continue to press this and any future Government to alter their housing targets to a level Winchester can reasonably absorb, without wholesale development in the countryside”
Cllr Keith Wood
February 2009
