The Local Plan reflects the location of new housing for Winchester District specified in the Hampshire County Structure Plan and, for that reason, development at Micheldever is not mentioned. However, Winchester District is required to accommodate a share of the 14,000 new homes which will be built if the need is demonstrated. 

The Dever Society is particularly concerned about the possibility of 2,000 new homes in north Winchester, at Barton Farm. We continue to oppose this development, as we have from the beginning. Eagle Star also appeared at the Local Plan inquiry to oppose development at Barton Farm.

Eagle Star clearly believed that any development at Barton Farm would further reduce their own chances of ever getting permission for a new town at Micheldever. After 14 years of promoting the new town on the basis that Hampshire needs thousands of new homes – and criticising Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council for failing to plan for enough new housing – Eagle Star had suddenly done a U-turn. Now, they argued that housing at Barton Farm is unnecessary because the Local Plan already provides for more homes than will be needed.

Eagle Star's case against the Barton Farm proposals were similar to the arguments that the Dever Society has used many times to oppose Eagle Star’s own plans for Micheldever. For example, their landscape expert concluded that the loss of 'open, rolling arable farmland' and important landscape features like ridges and hedges would damage Winchester’s historic setting. He also said that the development would cause unacceptable visual intrusion. Similarly, their transport consultant argued that the development would increase car traffic into Winchester, especially at peak times.

Under cross-examination, Eagle Star confirmed that they would continue to promote their proposal for a new town at Micheldever Station in the context of the new Regional Spatial Strategy, or South East Plan.

A changing system
The 2004 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act replaced Local Plans with a new system of Local Development Frameworks. Winchester City Council is already working on the new framework that will set out guidelines for spatial development in Winchester.

• Our other Planning and countryside briefings look at the Housing Green Paper, the Hampshire Structure Plan, and the South East Plan.
  We have now completed a detailed rebuttal of Zurich/Eagle Star’s proposals.