Plans for 14 new coach bays at Winchester’s St Catherine’s Park & Ride site have been placed on hold, with a decision not expected until April – although arrangements for visiting tour coaches remain under the spotlight.
The plan, which forms part of the authority’s aim to reduce pollution in the popular ancient city, has proved controversial as it would involve sacrificing part of a BMX trail in a woodland at Bar End. As this issue went to press, the petition, which can be found at www.change.org/p/cllr-caroline-prevent-the-destruction-of-winchester-s-bmx-mtb-trails-mature-woodland, had attracted 22,464 names.
According to the Hampshire Chronicle, members of Winchester City Council’s cabinet have said a decision will now be made on the site in April, rather than February as first planned.
Councillor Jan Warwick, Portfolio Holder for Transport and the Environment, asked for the plans to be postponed so that the council had time to assess the plans and look into alternative sites.
Cllr Warwick said: “There has been significant feedback about the BMX trails and we are listening, so what we’re doing is looking at all the options that might be available to us. We are still committed to building a coach park – it will help us stop coaches going through the one-way system and help the council reduce pollution.
“We are going to hit the pause button and consider options to accommodate the coaches elsewhere on land owned by Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council.”
