a) Winchester Avenue -
i) Remedial works on the “open” sections
ii) Work on Northern Junction
iii) Work on Southern Junction
· Traffic light crossing and junction optimisation
· Strategic work – Stoney Lane link
b) Community Building
c) Public amenities (play parks, walks and other areas) to HWPC
d) Car Park Delivery
e) Community Travel Support
i) Kings Barton bus service – new route service enablement (e.g. bus stops, crossings)
ii) Community Car Club
f) Updates on the following
i) Recreation Ground/Sports Pitches/ Pavilion
ii) MUGA (full sized)
iii) Neighbourhood centre - shops and pub
iv) Barton Meadows
Minutes:
Allison Thompson, Rupert Woodcock and Lance Else were present from CALA and gave a presentation and update on the following matters:
a) A drone flyover video was shown to demonstrate the progress of the development. The footage showed Winchester Avenue, the school, sports pitches, and the park and ride site and it was noted that Wellhouse Lane would join Winchester Avenue
b) An update was provided on the community centre, noting that ramp access was added to the design and CALA had worked closely with HWPC to address their requests in relation to the internal building space as far as possible. As soon as planning permission, including the deed of variation, was obtained CALA would start as soon as possible on the site to deliver the community building.
c) The Park and Ride trigger had been amended to 1,000 occupations to align with the opening of Winchester Avenue, anticipated to be in late 2027.
Councillor Learney clarified that WCC would operate the park and ride as a “park and ride light” where there was not a dedicated bus service but instead it used the ordinary bus services that run past the site. A question was asked about the timetable of the Number 75 bus service if this was going to run past the park and ride site.
An update was provided on the construction programme and sequencing. Key milestones included:
d) Works were progressing through sections 1A, 2A, 1B, and 2B.
e) The northern section was scheduled to start in January 2027.
f) The final road course from Manley Road to the southern end was expected to be finished by July 2026.
g) It was confirmed that a safety audit was required six months prior to the new Winchester Avenue opening, anticipated in early 2027. CALA confirmed that they would be commissioning the overall stage two safety audit for the entire spine road imminently and expected to have that by the end of March. This would then be submitted to HCC.
h) Further clarification was provided on the southern junction MOVA traffic signal works, which were scheduled to start on 13 March and conclude by the end of April. In response to questions, CALA agreed to confirm that this would include light control on the Winchester Avenue pedestrian crossing.
Councillor Cramoysan requested that a copy of the presentation slide showing the various road construction timelines for the site be supplied for publication with the minutes of the meeting. CALA agreed to this request.
An update was provided on sports facilities and public amenities:
i) The sports pavilion and pitches were on a programme for handover in summer 2027.
j) A full-size multi-use games area (MUGA) was to be delivered in phase 4A.
k) Phase 1B play area had been handed over, while phase 1A was due for imminent handover.
l) Offers had been received for the nursery building, and a supermarket contract was expected by the summer.
m) It was noted that there was currently little interest in the pub site, but marketing continued. A question was asked regarding the potential repurposing of the pub site if no interest was shown, and it was stated that if necessary, possible alternative uses could be discussed in the future.
Further clarification was sought regarding bus stops and active travel. The updates included:
n) Locations for new bus stops along Winchester Avenue were presented.
o) A question was asked about digital timing screens at bus stops, and it was stated that the specification would be confirmed.
p) A question was asked about the provision of bus shelters, and it was noted that at least two were specified.
q) Support was expressed for the "Barton Line" cycle route, and engagement with Cycle Winchester was anticipated.
An update was provided on future development phases. The projected starts were:
r) Phase 3B was scheduled for the end of the current year.
s) Phase 4B was projected for mid-2028.
t) Phase 4A was projected for mid-2029.
Finally, the query from KBRA regarding electric vehicle charging points and the ability for residents to charge overnight was noted and CALA stated that this matter would be investigated further.
Community Travel Plan
Lucy Jardine from i-Transport (CALA’s consultants) gave a presentation on the background and monitoring of the travel plan. The presentation included the following:
a) The implementation of the travel plan commenced in January 2022.
b) Travel pack leaflets were delivered to 364 occupied dwellings in February 2022. Occupation numbers reached 766 dwellings as of February 2026.
c) A £150 travel voucher was available for residents to use towards cycling equipment or bus tickets. 38 vouchers had been redeemed, with 36 of those utilised for cycling equipment.
d) A 10% discount code for Stagecoach tickets was available to residents.
e) Plans were made for a further leaflet drop and newsletter update during the year.
f) A successful bike doctor event had taken with a proposal made to repeat the event on a Saturday.
g) The car club launched in March 2022 and was located on Morse Road. In 2024 it had received 155 individual bookings.
h) The taxi share service was in place from 2022 until October 2024.
i) The KB1 bus service was operational between the development and the city centre.
j) An online booking system for bus tickets was in the final stage of setup.
Further details were provided in response to queries from the forum:
k) Possible ways of increasing the update of the car club and whether its current location had an impact. It was confirmed that the proposal included provision of a second car if demand warranted the addition.
l) With regard to the low take-up of travel vouchers an offer was made for the HWPC and KBRA to assist with the promotion of the vouchers.