Bushfield Camp masterplan revealed for the first time

This is the first time the images have been published in a city council document, showing a map and CGIs of various parts of Bushfield Camp.

The proposal was originally put forward by the Church Commissioners and their partners. 

They envisage a business park on the previously built-up land as well potential hotel/student accomodation, shops, cafe and sports facilities and the conservation of the adjacent chalk downland.

Several rounds of public consultation were held over the last few months.

Winchester City Council's Cabinet will discuss and decide whether to support the masterplan at its meeting on Wednesday June 21.

Should the plans be approved, the developers aim to have an outline planning application submitted in September, decided in the winter with work starting on the site in 2025.

READ MORE: Developer of Bushfield Camp pulls out of public meeting

Bushfield Camp was used by the Army during the Second World War. The camp was closed in the 1970s.

In the new masterplan, it said: “Bushfield will future proof employment opportunities for years to come, provide space to stem the drain of highly skilled and educated workforces to other cities and communities. As the world evolves to a greener future, Bushfield will provide employment space for Winchester’s citizens to learn, train, innovate and work locally, accessing their work and leisure space in an integral lifestyle.

“Bushfield is an employment-led, mixed-use development on a 43 hectare site.

“It incorporates the abandoned army camp – Bushfield, and eastern and Drovers fields.

“There will be multiple new safe pedestrian access points including from Badger Farm Road, Lower Stanmore Lane, and the site will link with the National Cycle Route network, and provide safe walking and cycling routes across the site to the Whiteshute Ridge and beyond.

SEE ALSO: Bushfield Camp: more consultation over new use for former army base

“It will include community facilities, a nursery, places to view the surrounding landscape, public spaces and a managed natural landscape. State of the art workspaces will support Winchester’s growing knowledge economy, foster innovation and optimise user wellbeing. 

“The development proposals will provide a new and lasting legacy for the city in the form of a 60 acre plus publicly accessible green space managed in a biodiverse manner creating new chalk grassland and all this adjacent to local job creation, education opportunities, construction employment and new revenue flows for the Council itself. We estimate up to 2,500 new jobs will be created through the development both directly and indirectly.

“Knowledge Park will be one of the most important spaces in Bushfield, providing a central amenity focus to the area with spill-out and market spaces, café terraces and flexible lawns in an extensive landscape setting.”

Support for the masterplan will be decided at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday June 21.