A NEW park and ride for north Winchester may not be built as part of the Kings Barton development but further out of the city, a public forum heard.

A small park and ride site is part of the planning conditions for the 2,000-home Kings Barton development.

Park and ride to the north of Winchester is a major part of the Winchester Movement Strategy.

Viv Hill, of CALA Homes, told Kings Barton Forum that the developer was looking to review park and ride provision.

He said: “We haven’t any plans at this particular moment in time. We have consent to deliver park and ride at the 650th occupation (it is currently around 260). If it could migrate further north into a larger facility it is an opportunity to put our thinking caps on about land use.”

Cllr Martin Tod, the city council Cabinet member overseeing traffic, said the possible sites now included up to the Three Maids Hill area: “Detailed studies are being done to look at what sites might be logistically possible. We are a long way away from buying a site and putting a plan in place. Work is being done on where we might put one and how it might work.”

The forum heard about teething problems on the new estate. Caterina Zucca, chairman of the Kings Barton Residents Association, raised a number of issues.

Ms Zucca said: “Andover Road needs to be made safer with a pedestrian crossing point. There was a fatal accident in January. A crossing is long overdue.”

She said the number of people crossing the road would only increase as the new school fills up. Andover Road is due to be closed to through traffic in four years.

Chris Hughes, Kings Barton implementation officer at the city council, said: “There is a lack of desire of Hampshire County Council to get this sorted out. It is something I desperately want done as well.

“Hampshire County Council is not willing to spend money because Andover Road is scheduled to be closed to through traffic in four years.”

Mr Hill said there were teething problems with the play areas. “We were incredibly embarrassed and disappointed with the quality of the soil. It is a chalky site and stones were coming through the top soil, the turf and the seeds. It wouldn’t be safe for children to play there if they fell over. They could cut themselves if they fell over.”

Wooden fencing was being replaced by metal ones and dead trees were being replaced too.

Street furniture and dog litter bins should be going in imminently said Mr Hill, who said the Covid lockdown had disrupted plans.

Cllr Tod supported Ms Zucca’s stance. “I strongly support the residents’ campaign and will do what I can to make it happen.” The forum agreed to write to the county council

There are other things needing to be sorted. Proposed granite setts for the middle strip of the main road through the estate are considered too dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists. The previous idea of a ‘shared space’ where pedestrians have priority is also being reviewed following Government guidance, said Mr Hughes.

New homes on Kings Barton are selling well, said Mr Hill with five or six going a month, better than CALA’s average elsewhere. So far 258 homes have been occupied, a little more than 10 per cent of the 2,000 total.

Forty per cent of the homes at Kings Barton will be affordable for people on the city council waiting list.