Scheme

The Church Commissioners for England, in partnership with Legal & General and Gisborne, is preparing plans for the regeneration of Bushfield Camp.

The scheme proposes around 1 million sq ft of high-quality, mixed-use, flexible business and employment space, designed to attract major brands across sectors including life sciences, academia, media and health.

Crucially, approximately half of the site will remain as accessible, biodiverse green space, delivering 60 acres of public realm for the community to enjoy. This legacy land will balance innovation and employment opportunities with long-term environmental and social value.

Strategy

To inform and shape the future of the site through the development of the concept masterplan, we placed community engagement at the heart of the process, undertaking a robust programme consisting of three stages. This was centred around targeted digital outreach and events in high-footfall areas, ensuring feedback from a wide-reaching and representative section of the community the development will serve.

This included six in-person drop-in events across the three stages, pop-up events on Winchester Market, a dedicated project website with digital interactive mapping tool, as well as several meetings with key political stakeholders and community groups such as Cycle Winchester and the City of Winchester Trust. Each stage of the programme was proactively promoted through a community newsletter, social media advertising campaign and local media coverage.

Following submission of the application, Meeting Place also ran a campaign and survey focused on the gathering ideas and aspirations for the 26 hectares of legacy land being delivered on site. To amplify awareness, we also worked closely with both local and trade media, securing coverage in outlets such as the Hampshire Chronicle and Estates Gazette. This positioned Bushfield Camp as a major development opportunity, but one which ensured growth, job creation and sustainability were not mutually exclusive.

Outcome

The engagement programme was met with strong engagement:

– 740+ people attended consultation events
– Received feedback from over 1,000 Winchester residents
– 250+ comments were submitted via the interactive mapping tool
– 2,500+ total interactions were recorded through the online platform

This community-led input from across Winchester helped to shape the development proposals; both the built development and the legacy land, in ensuring the scheme supports innovation with meaningful public benefit.

Following the formal endorsement of the concept masterplan by Winchester City Council’s Cabinet, an outline planning application was subsequently submitted and is currently awaiting determination.

Related links

• Bushfield Camp consultation website