Our Vision for Winchester
In January 2019 the Trust published A Vision for Winchester, a document containing chapters on landscape, conservation, local economy, movement, housing, good design, future growth and the planning process. A Vision for Winchester succeeds the Trust paper, The Future of Winchester – A Strategic Vision, which was published in 2001.
The Vision is intended as a working document to inform and guide the work of the Trust when commenting on planning policy and applications. It will be reviewed regularly to respond to changing circumstances.
Three principles guide the Vision:
To maintain Winchester as a compact city within its landscape setting.
To conserve and enhance the rich heritage of the city.
To ensure that the city maintains a balance between the needs for homes, employment, retail, education, health, recreation, culture and visitor attractions that provide and maintain a vibrant local economy.
All the Visions set out in the document feed into the first Vision, which calls for the production and adoption by the City Council of a Citywide Urban Design Framework. The Trust believes that this would greatly assist decision makers and provide confidence for the community that decisions are being made in the full knowledge and understanding of their implications for the whole City, rather than in isolation.
The remaining Visions are a combination of policies, research and practical actions which the Trust believes could contribute to the three guiding principles and ensure that Winchester is a thriving and vibrant City. The Trust intends to update the Vision on a regular basis, and welcomes comments on the document from Trust members and the general public.
A Vision for Winchester is free to Trust members and is available to non-members from our shop.