July 6th 2001: Barton Farm, north of Winchester, is back to centre stage as the place for 2,000 new homes.

Just over a week after the City Council's local plan panel decided, against planning officers' advice, that Littleton should also be considered, councillors agreed to recommend the Barton Farm area.

After a sometimes bad-tempered meeting on Monday, they also agreed, however, that an area east of the main railway line and surrounding Headbourne Worthy should be excluded from the recommendation.

Graham Hutton, a councillor who represents the Worthys, insisted that the people of Headbourne had not had adequate time to consider the proposals.

Monday's decision now goes as a recommendation to the cabinet next Tuesday, July 10th, and the full city council on Wednesday, July 18th.

But the erection of 2,000 houses at Barton Farm won't happen overnight. The local plan proposals--which include not just Winchester but the whole district--will be published for consultation in the autumn; a public inquiry will follow in 18 months' time and implementation could eventually take seven or eight years.

Hampshire County Council, Southampton and Portsmouth city councils, strategic planning authorities, have decided Winchester city north is one of five possible areas where housing could go in north Hampshire. Winchester City Council is obliged, therefore, to identify where this reserve site might be.

City planning officers, led by Steve Opacic, are arguing that identification of a specific area for the houses, if the need were to be "triggered" by the strategic authorities, would enable the local plan to comply with the structure plan.

"The later we leave it, the less chance the public will have of getting involved," Mr Opacic said.

Maurice Charrett was one member of the public who commented at Monday's meeting.

"I find it absolutely incredible that I am listening to a debate about the destruction of Barton Farm or Littleton, when two studies, one on the future of Winchester and one on the city and its setting, placed great value on its landscape setting," he said, adding that he realised the city was "being coerced by the county council".

Jenny Watson, representing Littleton and Harestock Parish Council, said: "A major development area tacked onto Littleton will destroy its character. The residents have had little time to respond to this policy."

Pamela Peskett, county councillor, produced a photograph of what she called "Barton on Sea", the farm area under floodwater during the winter.

Jane Parker, planning officer, said: "We consulted the Environment Agency. The information on land liable to flood is not particularly well-documented," adding that more hydrology information would be required.

Sue Nelmes said she wanted to know how the MDA was going to relate to Winchester's housing need situation--"Which is entirely the kind of houses the developers don't want to build."

Mr Opacic replied that city planners would be asking for a proportion of affordable housing if the area were triggered for development.

"It depends how proactive the city council is going to be about this," he said.

Graham Hutton said triggering the Barton Farm area would have a huge impact on Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy "as people try to establish rat-runs to get to the motorway."

He said he wanted to see these worries addressed more fully and added that if the city council had consulted more constructively with the communities of Littleton , Harestock and Headbourne Worthy, there would be many fewer problems in the future.

Allan Mitchell urged planners not to restrict the area of search to one or even two places.

George Fothergill said that time and again, the council had said it did not want a major development area north of Winchester. "Let's be consistent," he said.

"To put 2,000 houses on that site is unacceptable."

John Higgins said that to put all the houses on one site would involve the council allocation using the whole area north of Barton Farm. He pleaded with members to go back and look properly at all the six sites originally considered.

Ian Bidgood, chairing the panel, said that they must plan for 10 years ahead and he strongly supported the officers. David Atwell proposed that they settle on Barton Farm, excluding the area east of the railway line and members agreed this by four votes to one. Mr Bidgood had earlier refuted suggestions that there had been insufficient involvement of interest groups had taken place and he insisted papers had been circulated well in advance of the previous panel meeting.