We call on Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council to RE-OPEN Andover Road as a requirement for the approval of the Sir John Moore Barracks redevelopment
Please support us by clicking on the link below to sign our petition
Scroll down for more information and background
Closure is imminent
It is now clear that the section of Andover Road between Harestock Road and Stoney Lane will be closed to all traffic by January 2026. Traffic will be then diverted onto Winchester Avenue, the road through the centre of Kings Barton development. This is what CALA, Hampshire County Council (HCC) and Winchester City Council (WCC) want. They are not prepared to reconsider even though the Secretary of State has acknowledged that residents have good reasons for wanting Andover Road Kept Open and advised that the issue can be determined locally.
Closing the historic main Andover Road and transferring traffic through the centre of Kings Barton, would be the first time in UK history that a main road has been closed and its traffic diverted through a major new housing development.
Buses and Cycling
Quite reasonably HCC want to improve the walking and cycle routes along Andover Road, but there is plenty of space to improve this right now alongside Andover Road without closing it to all vehicular traffic. HCC are also suggesting subsequently re-opening Andover Road for buses only, despite the fact that the bigger demand for bus transport will be from the 4500 residents of Kings Barton! This is obviously an encouraging suggestion, but completely contradicts the imminent closure and that said we are not aware of any actual plans for this by HCC!
Our key points:
1. Winchester Avenue with its high density social/affordable and shared-ownership terraced housing, primary school, Community Centre and many side roads is an unsuitable, low-capacity road to take this diverted traffic and the result for Kings Barton residents will be:
2. Traffic will try to avoid delays on the congested Winchester Avenue by diverting through:
3. More generally, all Winchester residents will suffer from delays in reaching the A34 for travel northwards and residents of Littleton, South Wonston and Sutton Scotney will suffer from delays travelling to the City Centre with additional negative consequences for emergency services.
Sir John Moore Barracks - Redevelopment Impact
The redevelopment of Sir John Moore Barracks (SJM) is included in the Winchester Draft Local Plan with some 800-1000 additional homes and another park-and-ride site (even though there will be a 200-space Park and Ride site provided at the northern end of Kings Barton). This redevelopment is likely to increase traffic through Kings Barton to well over the capacity of Winchester Avenue!
We understand that a planning application for the redevelopment could be made as early as Summer 2025.
We will of course keep you updated on events, but you may wish to leave your comments on Keeping Andover Road Open on the consultation page of the SJM Barracks redevelopment website:
https://sirjohnmoorewinchester.co.uk/have-your-say
We are grateful for support from Headbourne Worthy Parish Council (HWPC) who have confirmed our KBRA view that the Sir John Moore Barrack redevelopment should NOT go ahead if Andover Road was closed.
We can confirm that your email address will be kept confidential and only used to provide you with the Newsletter and other important Kings Barton information.
If you have any questions, please contact us by emailing kingsbartonra@gmail.com
Feel free to get in touch with us. We will be happy to answer any questions about the Kings Barton Residents Association our events and how we are working with WCC and CALA on your behalf.