A SENIOR Tory councillor is calling for a former army site to be preserved for 'nature conservation' instead of a major business, retail and hotel. 

Cllr Jan Warwick made the comments about Bushfield Camp at the scrutiny committee for the latest draft local plan for the Winchester district. 

Cllr Warwick, a Conservative whose city council ward of Badger Farm and Oliver's Battery includes the former Army base, said that the site encompasses 42 per cent of the proposed employment space of the whole district. 

A planning application was submitted last October by the Church Commissioners, in partnership with Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) and Gisborne. This has been delayed due to advice from National Highways. 

The scheme includes 'academic accommodation', a hotel, retail, parking, sport and community hub, landscaping and public realm works. 

View from St Cross roundabout (Image: Contributed)

Speaking on Monday, July 29, Cllr Warwick said: “Bushfield Camp is expected to provide approximately 11.8 hectares of employment use. This makes it the largest site for employment land, representing around 42 per cent of the proposed employment space of the whole district. 

READ MORE: Bushfield Camp: decision delayed on long-awaited project

“Allocating such a substantial portion of employment land to Bushfield Camp is a high-risk strategy. While a broad masterplan has been approved by the cabinet and outline planning permission is in progress, we must also consider the site's unique environmental attributes. 

“Bushfield Camp is uniquely positioned near the South Downs National Park and the River Itchen. Any development here will significantly impact biodiversity and nearby sites of national and international importance. 

“Furthermore, the potential impact of over 5,000 daily vehicles on the local area and the motorway network remains undemonstrated by the developer to both National and Hampshire Highways.”

She added: “Instead of encroaching on this ecologically rich area, I would ask that this site is designated for nature conservation within the plan. Supporting its wildlife-rich habitats would enhance our natural resilience to climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and manage flood risks. With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, developing over such a sustainable natural site with a car-led project would be a regressive move. 

“I urge the committee to reconsider the allocation for Bushfield Camp and prioritise sustainable and environmentally responsible alternatives that align with our climate goals.”

Bushfield Camp allocation (Image: WCC)

The council's strategic planning manager Adrian Fox said: “Bushfield Camp is an existing allocation in the adopted local plan which went through an examination process. We have a concept masterplan that has been agreed by cabinet and we have a live planning application. 

“It's not a new site, it's an existing site that has been rolled forward. We want to make the most of the active travel links from Bushfield Camp to Winchester town.” 

Cllr Jackie Porter, Liberal Democrat and cabinet member for place and local plan, said: “This will be an opportunity for people to work locally, so their carbon footprint will be lower. We have a very well educated population in the Winchester district and we have been trying to make sure we have employment sites all over the district.”

The scheme has proved highly controversial with more than 800 objections by the end of 2023. The former army site, of Badger Farm Road, will be built on but the developers aim to restore much of the rest of the site to a nature reserve.

Bushfield Camp was earmarked as a potential business park in the local plan around ten years ago when the Conservatives were in control of the council.