There is also an unrelated application to develop 9 houses and a commercial unit on the site of “The Dairy” at the junction of Catherington Lane and Roads Hill.
Objections/comments for this application were due by 05 December 2023: View application summary.
• Winchester College is considering installing solar panels on 266 acres around Broadway Lane. This is the min requirement for a viable return. A copy of the proposed area is attached.
• Savills are Winchester College’s land agent.
• CPRE and SDNP are aware of the plan and will oppose it.
• EHDC and Denmead PC are aware.
• What are the health issues.
• Views from the properties around the area will be ruined as well as the view of the area particularly from the Portsdown Hill direction.
• Accumulative effects of AQUIND and these panels will be devastating for the rural character of this part of Hampshire.
• Winchester College has not yet submitted an application to install the solar farm. When they do it will be to both Winchester and East Hants District Councils.
Jeremy Warren met last Friday with Giles Wordsworth (GW). He is the Rural Director of the Estate Agent Savills, he is employed by Winchester College to look after the College’s rural interests. He reports to the College Bursar. The key bullet points arising from the meeting are listed below:
Win Col has been targeted, because of its extensive land portfolio, to install sustainable energy plants wherever possible and GW’s aim is to do this in the most cost beneficial manner. They require to generate 50 megawatts of energy which equates to 266 acres of solar panels, this is approximately the red area on the plan, which is attached here.
There is no doubt the proximity of the land to the sub-station makes it the ideal target for solar farm installations.
The solar farm project is in its very early stage. The plans are indicative only and do not represent any firm plans as of yet. They will be subject to change.
A possible timetable consists of submitting an Application this summer, a consultation period until mid 2021 and if approved, installation to start late 2021. Like all these things it could take longer.
Application and approval would be at local authority level ie. EHDC and Winchester DC.
Win Col would lease the land to the solar panel company for a 25? year period.
Health and security issues were discussed but GW said he was not qualified to comment.
Win Coll has charitable status and the land shown on the plan is agricultural grade 3, rated Good to Moderate.
If you feel you can contribute to the opposition to this scheme by researching successful actions or by passing this project to other interested parties please do so.
Catherington is a small village located on the top of a hill. Its position on high ground provides far-reaching views across the surrounding countryside. The A3 is located in the valley to the east, with open countryside to the west providing a rural backdrop into which the village environment merges.
The main land use of the village is residential. Agriculture was (and still is) an important land use in the fields surrounding the village, and equestrian use has developed in recent years. These uses add to the open, rural character of the village.
The overall layout of the village is characterised by its linear form, with an overriding presence of mature trees, hedges and small gardens.
Catherington Conservation Area
In 2003 the council created the Catherington Conservation Area in recognition of its many buildings of historical interest.
Catherington Down is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It covers 32 acres and consists of chalk grassland with remnants of ancient semi-natural woodland. It is a popular site due to the high concentration of rare wild flowers such as Round-Headed Rampion, Pyramidal Orchid and Wild Thyme.
It is an important site for many insects and also has a healthy population of birds. Species including the Yellowhammer, Buzzard and Barn Owl can be seen. Mammal species including the Stoat have also been recorded.
Catherington Lith Local Nature Reserve
A 30 acre ancient woodland with some wartime tales. During the Second World War the Lith was used as evacuation plots for people from Portsmouth. The Lith also has remnants of chalk grassland.
Catherington Greening
Catherington Greening was established in 2009 with the aim of raising awareness of greening issues in the local area and to reduce the CO2 footprint of the village.
Catherington Village Residents’ Association, supported by George Hollingbery MP, and our Hampshire, East Hampshire & Horndean Parish councillors, have been pressing for some years for BT to improve Catherington broadband.
This campaign has been successful and that BT OpenReach have installed new broadband cabinets in Catherington Lane, near The Granary & at the top of White Dirt Lane in June 2016.
When CVRA was first formed it was agreed that there should be a “traffic” representative, This was Ernest Rigby who was an advanced driver and had a transport background. The view held then was traffic speed in Catherington Lane could be reduced by having 30mph repeater signs along its length. Ernest wrote long and eloquent letters to HCC, The Police, and Councillors. Every letter tended to receive the same response that under the RTA 1984 and Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 you could not have 30mph signs within that zone if there was street lighting. Ernest’s response was always why is this not so in other Counties, but it fell on deaf ears.
After 8 years trying to get some progress Ernest passed on the reigns and it was decided that if the law on signs was against us we should try for installed 30mph speed indicator devices. Once again HCC Highways advised the CVRA this could not be done as it was not HCC policy. Again we advised that several counties do have them including Surrey and Sussex next door.
In 2009 an article appeared in a local paper saying West Meon had had a £42K investment in speed reduction measures. On contacting HCC Cllr Mel Kendal we were informed that Catherington was on the list for some traffic calming measures. Nothing actually happened!
A number of residents lobbied Parish Councillor Guy Shephard to do something about speeding traffic in the Parish. As a result Horndean Parish Council acquired a “Speed Indicating Device” which displays vehicle speed with a smiley or sad face, and records the speed and time of vehicle passing. The unit was sited in positions agreed with HCC Highways but in general with one or two exceptions they were on the roads which feed the A3 or roads with high volumes of traffic or in the case of White Dirt Lane and Five Heads Road on a route to Schools.
Two Roads of 40mph limits ie: Havant Road and Downhouse Way were also monitored.
Six volunteers from the Parish maintained the SID and provided data to HPC, Speed watch co-ordinator at Waterlooville Police Station and for other interested parties when requested.
Volume of traffic and speeds recorded
The unit was installed at a location for a period of three weeks. The first week covered and subsequent weeks uncovered so as any traffic speed reduction could be measured. The data showed that on what could be considered the A3 feeder roads ie: Downwood Way/ Southdown Road, Catherington Lane, and Lovedean Lane.
40%+ of traffic is exceeding the police prosecution level of 35mph
Eg. A typical week on Catherington Lane
5363 vehicles.
1719 in excess of 36mph
766 in excess of 40mph
184 in excess of 46mph
62 in excess of 50mph.
The SID exercise was conducted for two years during which it was shown that the units did result in small improvements in speed reduction over the three weeks. A plea by HPC and our County Councillor Mrs Harvey to have a few selected sites provided with a power supply to reduce workload for the volunteers and reduce battery charging met with a negative response by HCC Highways.
The volunteers felt that despite the data provided as evidence there was little chance of anything being done to reduce speed on these roads and withdrew their support. The units were returned to HPC.
White Dirt Lane Traffic.
The reason White Dirt lane was included was because of the level of complaints by residents concerned about the volume of traffic on what is an unclassified narrow road and often at excessive , which represents a danger particularly for pedestrians. Data from a location at the junction with Glamorgan Road indicated that even down this narrow lane 6% of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit. Indeed during times of traffic congestion in Horndean this road is used as a short cut to Catherington Lane and the A3.
Residents of White Dirt Lane approached our County Councillor with a view to a separate survey being carried out as to what measures could be carried out to improve road safety. A survey was carried out followed by a public meeting where the majority of residents felt that the road should be closed above White Dirt Farm.
CVRA understand that this has been rejected by Fire and Rescue services, Police and HCC. Proposals for traffic calming measures have now resulted in the completed works seen along White Dirt Lane including humps, pinch points and raised tables.
AQUIND submitted their application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate on 14thNovember 2019. The process is said to take 18 months so decision should be published Summer 2021. If you wish to register as an interested party you can do so by entering your details and concerns at the web-site below:
