Barton Farm now agreed: | Jackie Porter

There is now a dedicated website set up by Cala Homes
http://www.bartonfarmwinchester.co.uk/

Forum starts 16th Jan 2013

The threat of queues of traffic coming into Winchester loom larger unless the Barton Farm Forum can steer Cala away from this route

The news last year was that Barton Farm has been refused! But we know now that the Secretary of State has overturned that, the Barton Farm neighbourhood has been granted Planning Permission and the Barton Farm Forum has now started. Please see the main pages of this website for details of the Forum . The first meeting was on 16th January 2013…

This was the report that I posted last year- it looks so hopeful doesn’t it? But we know now that all has changed…

This is an extract from the letter I received by email then….

Inspector’s recommendation and summary of the decision

The Inspector recommended that the appeal be allowed and planning permission be granted subject to conditions. For the reasons given below, the Secretary of State disagrees with the Inspector’s conclusions and with her recommendation.

A copy of the Inspector’s report (IR) should be on the DCLG website today .

If you have not received a the report and would like one, please email me: jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk for a copy.

Main reasons cited:

no proven need
no contribution to the housing provision in the medium term,
full community consultation in process through Blueprint

This is amazing news and puts pressure on us all to press on with the bottom up planning process started by the Lib Dems whilst in power at WCC. Their ‘blueprint’ process was a key part of the reason why the application was refused.

He also agreed with CABE’s comments about the re-routing of the Andover Road, and the high hurdle set to trigger development.

It is heartening to see that consistent Liberal Democrat Policy on this has brought about this result today

Congratulations to the SBFG- their hard work has been rewarded!

Now we have to find ways to alleviate the suffering of the 3000 people on the housing list who need affordable homes today- not at some distant point in the future: the fact is that Barton Farm would never have solved this problem.