Draft Movement Strategy goes to open consultation in November
Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council are working together to produce a long-term strategy for Winchester designed to improve all forms of movement in and around the city.
The development of a strategy is timely given the new housing developments and other major developments currently underway or planned across the city, including Central Winchester Regeneration, Station Approach and the Sport and Leisure Park.
The aim is to understand how to address travel and transport constraints, to support Winchester’s growth, and allow the city to become a healthier and more accessible place. The overall aim of the strategy is to reduce city-centre traffic.
Residents and businesses will be asked their views on the draft strategy in November with the intention of adopting the final strategy by March 2019. Once adopted, further work will follow that will enable the two councils to seek the funding necessary to deliver infrastructure and wider improvements.
The process has involved a series of public stakeholder events, including an open consultation in Autumn 2017 which attracted over 1,300 responses; workshops, seminars; and a telephone survey.
The latest stakeholder event, held in July 2018, helped to identify some high-level options intended to enhance how the city works in transport terms.
Councillor Jan Warwick, Portfolio Holder for Environment at Winchester City Council, said:
“This is an exciting and ambitious piece of work by both councils working together. We will take on board all feedback we have received and technical traffic modelling work before adopting a final version of the document in March 2019.
“Following this we will need to develop an action plan what do first; undertake further technical design work on the strategy elements; and identify a joint funding strategy.”
Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, said:
“As the city grows and evolves, we want to make sure we have an agreed strategy which is aimed at delivering the right travel and transport arrangements, so Winchester continues to be the great place that it is.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has shared their views so far, and look forward to further feedback this Autumn which will help the County Council to bid for national funding to improve travelling around the city.”
The open consultation in November will be preceded by a briefing for councillors and drop-in sessions for parish councils and other interested groups.