The Church Commissioners for England, in partnership with Legal & General Investment Management and Gisborne, have committed to provide 60 acres of Bushfield Camp, Hampshire, as publicly accessible green space.
The move forms part of the current planning application, lodged in November last year, to create 1m sq ft of office, industrial and academic space.
Currently, only a small proportion of the former 106-acre army camp has permissible access. The developers aim to make 60 acres accessible to the public.
The jv has called on local residents, stakeholders and the wider population of Winchester to help shape a structure for managing the land.
John Weir, head of real estate at the Church Commissioners for England, said: “Across more than half a dozen public consultation events, city-centre stands and online feedback, we’ve gathered a diverse range of ideas from the public for this significant piece of land. We want to gather even more local insight to support our commitment to the long-term stewardship of our estates, in order to achieve greener growth.”
Ben Rodgers, head of regeneration at LGIM Real Assets division, added: “By providing legal access to the green space, we want to not only maximise Bushfield’s social and economic impact, but also the environmental opportunity.”
Serving as a military training ground until 1979, Bushfield Camp was left unused for more than four decades. In 2013, it was allocated in the Winchester City Local Plan as an employment-led site for regeneration. The recently submitted outline planning application will see an innovation park delivered to the south of the city centre. If approved, construction is expected to start on site in 2025.
Image from the Church Commissioners for England, LGIM and Gisborne
Send feedback to Evelina Grecenko
Follow Estates Gazette
