THE public have had another chance to have a say on a major redevelopment near Winchester.

The developers of Bushfield Camp held another consultation last Friday and Saturday which attracted around 240 people to the Cathedral refectory and Badger Farm Community Centre.

The landowner, the Church Commissioners, with developer Legal & General Investment Management and Gisborne, is proposing a business park on the footprint of the army base.

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The principle has already been conceded with the former army base earmarked for business use in the Local Plan for the last ten years.

Most of the site would be retained as open space and managed to enhance its chalk downland.

Bushfield Camp has been unused since the Ministry of Defence vacated the site south of Badger Farm in the 1970s.

Hampshire Chronicle: Graffitti at Bushfield Camp. Photo: Andrew Napier

A planning application is expected in the summer.

Ben Rodgers, Head of Regeneration for Legal & General’s Real Assets division, said: “Our proposals for Bushfield seek a long-term relationship with Winchester City Council and the community, putting sustainability, green transport, open space and wellbeing at the core of its ethos.

"Bushfield will future-proof Winchester’s employment opportunities for years to come and provide space to stem the current drain of highly skilled and educated workforces to other cities and communities. As the world changes to greener awareness, Bushfield will provide employment space for Winchester’s citizens to learn, train, innovate and work locally, whilst accessing work and leisure space integral to overall well-being.

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"The masterplan represents an opportunity to improve access and secure the long-term future management of the previously undeveloped parts of the site for recreational use and environmental benefit. In excess of 60 per cent of the overall site area will not be developed and is to be retained and managed as publicly accessible and biodiverse green space giving a lasting legacy to the people of Winchester.”

Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis is concerned any development will add to emissions and also hit biodiversity.

WinACC says: "If there is to be a development, it needs to be designed, built and used to produce:
* a world class development, a beacon and exemplar which our great-grandchildren will be proud of;
* no net reduction of biodiversity (noting that brownfield land can be better for biodiversity than greenfield;
* no net increase of transport emissions;
* a net reduction in Winchester's greenhouse gas emissions overall.

As reported, although technically in planning terms now classed as 'brownfield' land opponents say the fact that it has been largely untouched for more than 50 years means it should now be considered 'greenfield'.