IT was only a matter of time. Bloor Homes had bought South Winchester Golf Club in 2021. A developer, its purpose in life is building houses, not running golf courses so the announcement of their plans for 1,000 homes on the course comes as no surprise. They have done something similar in Basingstoke.

The initial reaction for many people will be one of shock. They may point to Barton Farm, aka Kings Barton and the construction of 2,000 homes and say 'why does Winchester need any more houses?' Up to a point they would be right. Winchester has more than enough land earmarked for housing to last many years. But planning never stays still. It is always looking 10, 20, 30 years down the line. Developers already have an option on the farmland between Wellhouse Lane and Three Maids Hill. Others eye the open spaces east of the M3 towards Chilcomb.

The fact remains that the population of the UK is growing and with it the demand for housing. Immigration makes up part of that, although overstated. The real reasons are we are living longer, more people are getting divorced and more people want to live in the south than the north.

Planners will be looking at South Winchester Golf Club and weighing up whether it meets the needs for, not the forthcoming Local Plan, but the one after that stretches well into the 2040s. Nothing will happen in the near future. Golf is guaranteed at the club until 2026 but they will still be playing there many years after that.

However, people who oppose the development must be prepared to get involved with the planning process now. Bloor Homes are playing the long game, as CALA Homes did for Barton Farm. They will be striving to get the land into the Local Plan. Will opponents be able to stop them? Time will tell.