Winchester City Borough Council z North Whiteley Development Forum Meeting

Apologies were noted as above.

No declarations were made.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Small be appointed vice-chairperson for the 2023/24 municipal year.

The chair acknowledged that several members had requested that these meetings be held in person, however, she advised that, unfortunately, due to the high cost of the equipment required, it had been decided to continue with online meetings. A member asked if it would be possible to use Zoom as the means for hosting meetings online.

David Leslie addressed the forum regarding a question concerning the safety of pedestrians at Woodland Chase, in particular, he:

1. Wanted to understand the responsibility for ensuring the safety of residents on Whiteley Way, especially once it opened to traffic as it remained uncertain whether this fell under the responsibility of the consortium, the developer (Taylor Wimpy), or of Hampshire County Council (HCC).
2. Was particularly concerned about the two entrances to the developed area: namely, the bridge from the High School leading into Woodlands Chase and the area past Sawpit Copse and Bridge Copse after the Tesco roundabout.
3. Understood that the enforceable limit on a private road with street lighting, was 30 miles per hour (mph).

Ray Alborough, Hampshire County Council advised that:

1. Responsibility for the area depended on the relationship between the consortium and Taylor Wimpey and how the land was divided, and Mr Davis from Tetra Tech could advise further on this.
2. He was not able to advise regarding the speed limit on private roads, but in general, if there was street lighting to an appropriate standard, then repeater signs on a public highway were not required and following adoption, the speed limit would likely be 30 mph.

Jeff Davis of Tetra Tech advised that:

1. That, broadly, Whiteley Way was regarded as a “consortium” road, and they were responsible for health and safety throughout it.
2. Regarding speed limits, the intention would be to place several more repeater 20-mph signs along the road before it opened to through traffic. This action was necessary as the road remained a construction site, and efforts were needed to keep speeds down due to the ongoing presence of construction traffic.

3.    That the consortium had been undertaking fortnightly health and safety inspections on the site. This approach aimed to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents on the site, considering the increasing number of residents.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 16 February 2023 be approved and adopted.

Gemma Bowry and Martin Hallum from Hampshire County Council gave an update on the proposed secondary school which could be summarised as follows.

1. That public consultation for the Secondary School design were planned for the Summer of 2024.
2. That the design was in its early stages, and it was planned to consult during the summer of 2024, with a planning application submitted in the autumn of 2024.
3. That the scheme was intended to be completed by September 2027, with an estimated two years of construction on-site due to challenging topography and ground conditions.
4. That the project would comply with future statutory requirements, including building regulations and climate-sustainable policies.
5. That the timings for delivery of the second primary school were uncertain but not likely to before 2029, as Cornerstone Primary School had sufficient capacity presently although pupil numbers were constantly under review.

Melissa Doughty from Hampshire County Council gave an update on the proposed new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school which could be summarised as follows:

1. The intention was to split the site into two parts: a special needs school on the north and housing on the south.
2. The school had secured funding as part of a successful bid with the Department for Education.
3. The current, high-level timeline for the project included consulting in the Spring of 2024, construction starting in 2025, and completion in the late summer of 2026.

Members raised concerns and questions, which included the following:

1. Were officers liaising with Head Teachers of nearby schools about the progress being made and the overall timing of the project?
2. Could officers confirm if the all-weather pitches would be available by September 2027 as there was a significant need for sports pitches in North Whiteley and were crucial for local clubs like Whiteley Wanderers.
3. Further questions were asked regarding the sports pitches, including the possibility of bringing forward the availability of the pitches, whether the sports pitches would be under the school's control and available for use by outside agencies like Whiteley Wanderers and how this would be managed.
4. Regarding the proposed site for the SEND school, could officers advise how much housing would be included on the land?

These points were responded to by Gemma Bowry, Martin Hallum and Melissa Doughty accordingly.

Jeff Davis (Tetra Tech) provided the forum with a presentation which had been made available on the council's website. (available here) The presentation covered a range of issues, which included the following:

1. An overview of Highways works.
2. Phase 1 - Bluebell Way, including bus services, and Southern Local Centre.
3. Strategic Cycleway: Footpath 9, including details on design and construction.
4. Phase 2 - Off-site Whiteley Way, including legal agreements, the letting of works, and target start and completion dates.
5. Phase 3 - Station Hill -Whiteley Way / Curbridge Way to Whiteley Way, including works underway and target completion dates.
6. Housing delivery, including permissions granted, houses started, and occupations.
7. Open Space Delivery, including an update on allotment 1, Locally Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) 2 and LEAP 3 completion, and an update on planned landscape works.
8. Bus Service, including service 28/28A, bus stops, and shelters.
9. Errant Parking Issues, including temporary measures close to Cornerstone School and along Whiteley Way and consultation regarding further measures such as double yellow lines.

Hilary Oliver, Implementation Officer, Winchester City Council, addressed the forum and updated members on several issues including the following:

1. Progress on the completion of Allotment 2 and Allotment 3.
2. Progress of the installation of a temporary community centre.
3. An update regarding the Skills Academy.
4. An update regarding the landscaping programme and that planting work was ongoing.
5. An update regarding the planned installation of mobile telephone masts.
6. An update regarding the completion of the footpath between Curdridge Way and Ridge Lane.
7. That updates had been provided from Hampshire County Council regarding M27 Junction 9, bus passenger numbers and the travel plan. These updates had been circulated to all members and were available here.

Members asked several questions and made comments regarding the following:

1. That the opening of the path to the school was a priority, and a date for its opening was requested. Members wished to provide any support necessary to achieve this.
2. That regarding the opening of Whiteley Way from Whiteley Meadows to Woodland Chase concerns about consistency amongst developers and safety for residents were raised. Particular concerns were raised regarding the bollards along Woodland Chase which needed to be resolved urgently.
3. Members discussed the use of double yellow lines and felt that unless these were enforceable with a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), they may not effectively address the parking issues.
4. That clarification was sought regarding the contents and features of the upcoming community centres, especially the southern local centre.

These points were responded to by Jeff Davis, Ray Alborough and officers accordingly.

RESOLVED:

That following a discussion it was agreed that, in line with the current Terms of Reference of the Forum, a conversation should be held at a future meeting regarding the Forum's future objectives, its future terms of reference and future arrangements for holding meetings.