East Winchester Landscape Conversation

East Winchester Landscape Conversation

What is it about?

The open downland area to the East of Winchester is under pressure from a range of issues.

Increased development, roads and traffic, climate change, loss of habitats and species, changing agricultural practices, visitor pressure and some anti-social behaviours have all taken a toll on the landscape and affected its natural beauty as part of the National Park.

The Authority is working with local people to find the best ways to restore the East Winchester landscape, not to a historical condition but to restore the health, vitality and abundance of the landscape and nature.

Local people, businesses and a wide range of organisations who are connected with the area have been decision makers in developing a forward plan of ideas for how this could be achieved.

This is their plan which the South Downs National Park Authority helped to coalesce and take shape.

The report which sets out how this was done is called the ‘East Winchester Landscape Conversation’.

All of the possible work set out in the Forward Plan relies on strong partnership and the stakeholders working together to achieve action on a wide range of issues.

New and innovative links between organisations and people will help us all work around shared goals for this vulnerable and fragmented area.

It is hoped that the process which is described here will be the start of a continuing conversation between many groups, organisations and individuals who have an interest in the area.

The report sets out in detail the following;

• The work with stakeholders and members of the public
• The process of shaping the results of the many discussions, opinions and ideas which were given
• The forward plan, including high level principles for the separate projects, and the over-arching vision for the landscape
• The baseline evidence and data which was gathered to support and inform the project

How will it make a difference?

It is a long term approach and may take years to achieve through many different actions and projects.

During 2022 we will work with stakeholders and our own internal staff to help prioritise the work in the area so that efforts are focused on the most important problems.

The National Park Authority does not have the resources or remit to lead and deliver all of the projects so will be working collaboratively with partners to achieve against the prioritised project list.

The Report

This is a link to download the whole report East Winchester Landscape Conversation.

Links to the report sections are here:

1. Executive Summary (a two page summary of the findings)
2. Stakeholders Vision 2050
3. Background information about the study area (Chapters 1 & 2)
4. Working with stakeholders and collating the findings (Chapters 3 & 4)
5. Shaping the results (Chapter 5)
6. The Stakeholders Forward Plan (Chapter 6) and Conclusion

Appendices to the report:

• Appendix A: Links to the relevant sections of the South Downs Integrated Character Assessment
• Appendix B East Winchester Local Landscape Character Analysis
• Appendix C SDNP Citizen Panel Survey
• Appendix D Winchester City pop up consultation stalls
• Appendix E Young person’s consultation event
• Appendix F Workshop 1
• Appendix G Workshop 2
• Appendix H Workshop 3
• Appendix I – contents
  • Access and Public rights of way  – Contents
    • Access opportunities
    • Public access
    • Strava records
  • Biodiversity  – Contents
    • Biodiversity opportunity areas
    • Biodiversity
    • Habitat count modelling
    • HBIC Ecology network
    • Priority_Habitats
    • RVEI
  • Ecoserve – Contents
    • ES2AirPurificationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2AirPurificationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2AirPurificationESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES2AirPurificationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES2CarbonStorageCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2CarbonStorageDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2CarbonStorageESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES2CarbonStorageESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES2LocalClimateRegulationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2LocalClimateRegulationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2LocalClimateRegulationESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES2LocalClimateRegulationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES2NoiseRegulationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2NoiseRegulationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2NoiseRegulationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES2PollinationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2PollinationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2PollinationESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES2PollinationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES2WaterPurificationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES2WaterPurificationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES2WaterPurificationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES3AccessibleNatureCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES3AccessibleNatureDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES3AccessibleNatureESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES3EducationCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES3EducationDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES3EducationESBAandGapsPrioritised_M3J9
    • ES3EducationESBAManagementZones_M3J9
    • ES3GreenTravelCapacity1to100_M3J9
    • ES3GreenTravelDemand1to100_M3J9
    • ES3GreenTravelESBAManagementZones_M3J9
  • Stakeholder maps  – Contents
    • Existing_Infrastructure
    • Stakeholder_Engagement_Favourite_Places_All
    • Stakeholder_Engagement_Issues_Opps
  • Heritage  – Contents
    • Cultural_Heritage
    • HLC_period
  • Landscape  – Contents
    • A Location map
    • B Aerial image
    • C Digital terrain model
    • D SDILCA Landscape Character Area
    • E Local Landscape Character areas
    • F Parkwide open downland
    • Geology
    • H Soilscape
    • I M3 Landscape restoration opportunities
  • Local Landscape Character Areas  – Contents
    • A Local landscape Character Areas map
    • B Cheesefoot Head and Hampage Woods
    • C Chilcomb Vale
    • D Eastern Itchen Valley
    • E Longwood Mosaic
    • F Longwood Warren
    • G  Ovington Down
    • H  Twyford and Hazeley Down
    • I  Twyford Itchen Valley
    • J  Western Itchen Valley
    • K  Winnall Down
• Appendix J Consultants brief

If you would like any further information on the East Winchester Landscape Conversation or would like to get involved please contact info@southdowns.gov.uk

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