DEVELOPERS proposing a new town, which would be the biggest scheme in Hampshire's history, have raised concerns about the local plan.

O’Flynn Group is proposing 6,000 homes on 1,250 acres of farmland surrounding Micheldever Station.

Development plans for the land first emerged in the last 1980s when the land was owned by Eagle Star insurance. They have always been fiercely opposed.

O'Flynn has three concerns with the Winchester local plan: the scale of unmet housing need across the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) area; the uncertainty over the release of the Sir John Moore Barracks site for development; and the impact of the phosphorous / nitrates discharge on the plan’s allocation of housing in the south of the district, in the River Itchen catchment.

A spokesman for O’Flynn Group said: “Just one of these issues might cause significant uncertainty ahead of the Local Plan’s eventual independent Inspection for soundness, but to have these three issues in combination must throw into question whether the current Local Plan approach can really side-step quite so many issues.” 

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation recently confirmed that the development plans for Sir John Moore Barracks were pressing on, with the site available from 2026.

READ MORE: Sir John Moore Barracks: MoD pressing on with redevelopment

Planning company Lichfields, on behalf of O’Flynn Group, wrote to Winchester City Council's Local Plan Advisory Group (LPAG), which met on Wednesday March 8, to highlight the problems.

Matthew Spry, senior director, wrote: “While the spatial choice for the plan is ultimately a matter for the council, there is an obvious solution to the three problems hiding in plain sight, and that is a new settlement option at Micheldever Station.

“The site is available to provide up to 6,000 homes and employment opportunities as part of a mixed use, sustainable new Hampshire town centred on a rail station. It sits outside the River Itchen catchment and has a large area of wider land within the wider Sutton Scotney Estate. It thus has no constraints in terms of nutrient challenges. Situating development at Micheldever Station protects the historic city of Winchester from the need for further extensions.

“The evidence of the council has not, in our view, adequately explored the potential of the Micheldever Station site to support a balanced approach to development in the district in light of the new challenges facing the plan."

SEE ALSO: Council U-turn over archaeology at Winchester city centre site

At the LPAG meeting, Cllr Caroline Horrill asked about the issues raised in the letter.

Adrian Fox, city council strategic planning manager, said: “The discussions are still ongoing as to what the PfSH unmet need is. We are also in active discussions with the DOI about Sir John Moore Barracks for 900 homes. They are assuring us the site will be available by 2026. We will be looking to work much better with ward members and parish councils about the delivery of that site.”

Mr Fox explained that the next stage in the local plan process is to respond to the comments made in the recent public consultation.