Call to replace car park with housing

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England, visited Winchester last Friday to support campaigners calling for urgent and sustainable action on social housing.

Local residents and activists are calling on Winchester Council to redevelop land on Gordon Road, currently used as St. Peter’s car park, to increase the supply of social housing in the Winchester district.

The car park was meant to temporary while the Brook Centre was being built. They say replacing it with homes would help meet local housing needs, reduce traffic in the city centre and improve air quality. It would also provide an alternative to building social housing in precious green and open spaces.

A local architect supported campaigners by producing a capacity study which demonstrates how the site could accommodate 14 x 2-bedroom units and 11 x 1-bedroom units on the space currently allocated for car parking.

During Mr Tayhors’s visit, campaigners handed a letter to the City Council offices addressed to Leader of the Council, Cllr Caroline Horrill.