Sir John Moore Barracks plans in Littleton Village Design Statement

The Littleton Village Design Statement (VDS) was adopted in 2010 and has now been updated to include the proposals for Sir John Moore Barracks at Flowerdown.

The major scheme has been included in the emerging Winchester City Council Local Plan with 900 houses, a business park and a park and ride site proposed. A masterplan is yet to be released.

Littleton's latest VDS was adopted at the Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan Decision Day on Monday September 4.

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Speaking at the meeting, Littleton and Harestock Parish Council vice-chairman John Biddlecombe said: “The village has its own style and has many different types of housing. The Sir John Moore Barracks development will be modern in whatever form they choose to make it. We feel the VDS will make it a lot easier to integrate the two together and make it more acceptable for the public and a more pleasing place to live. We are yet to see the masterplan.”

Cllr Stephen Godfrey, whose city council ward includes Littleton, said: “Village design statements form a vital part of the local development plan. They give residents the chance to express what is important to them. The statement shows the strength of residents' desire to keep and protect Littleton as a distinct settlement with a rural character. The parish council has produced an excellent document.”

It was agreed with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to include a paragraph on page one of the statement about the plans for the barracks. It said: “At the time of the preparation of the LVDS, the city council was in the process of reviewing the Winchester Local Plan. The Regulation 18 draft Local Plan included Sir John Moore Barracks as a proposed site allocation, and the redevelopment of the Sir John Moore Barracks (SJMB) will have a significant impact on the parish.

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“This Village Design Statement sets out key features and characteristics which contribute to the environment of Littleton Village and its surroundings. Should the site allocation be carried forward into the adopted version of the new Local Plan, it will provide an up-to-date site-specific development plan policy for the site. It is recognised that some of the detailed design guidance in this VDS may not always be applicable to a major redevelopment of the Barracks, but it provides an important reference point for the preparation of a detailed design code for the site.

“The two documents should complement each other. The SJMB Masterplan Concept/Framework Document and related/associated design code[s] will need to pay particular attention to the relationship and connectivity between the existing village and the proposed development and to maintain the feel and ambience enjoyed by the residents of the existing village.”