Agreement will see development partners collaborate with the South’s leading land-based college to explore options on how to deliver the 60 acre Legacy Land, maximising biodiversity, educational opportunities and public use.

Development partners bringing forward plans to transform Bushfield Camp into a best-in-class mixed use knowledge park have announced a strategic collaboration with Sparsholt College.

The agreement with the leading land, environment and animal educational institution will see the Church Commissioners for England, Legal & General and Gisborne work with Sparsholt College to explore options for the future proposals for the Legacy Land at Bushfield Camp, which comprises over 60 acres of green space.

As part of the development plans, more than 60% of the land at Bushfield Camp will not be developed. Over 60 acres will be retained as new publicly accessible and biodiverse green space as a lasting legacy for the people of Winchester in a landmark expansion of the City’s green open space.

The collaboration will look to identify ecological priorities and options, assisting with the biodiversity net gain proposals for the development and the educational priorities of Sparsholt College and how best these could be achieved through the college’s involvement with Bushfield. The collaboration will also explore potential options for involving other relevant organisations and interest groups to further enhance the benefit of the Legacy Land for the local community and wildlife.

The announcement follows a survey of Winchester residents and stakeholders which gathered over 900 responses. The findings highlighted a strong public desire to transform Bushfield Camp’s Legacy Land into a shared space that prioritises nature conservation and public accessibility and enjoyment.

74% of respondents to the survey wanted to see specialist groups or conservation bodies work in unison to manage the area and for Bushfield’s undeveloped land to be used as an educational resource for local schools and colleges, a significant driver which influenced the collaboration with Sparsholt College.

Further feedback from the community is being carefully considered with the expectation of identifying opportunities to integrate these into the planning and management of the Legacy Land, working with Sparsholt College to leverage its local knowledge and deep expertise in land stewardship.

Joanna Loxton, Head of Land for the Church Commissioners for England said: “As custodians of this land, we are tremendously excited to collaborate with Sparsholt College to support making the most of the opportunity that Bushfield’s extensive Legacy Land has to offer. Once complete, Bushfield will become a new knowledge quarter which puts sustainability, inclusivity and wellbeing at the heart of its design.

“As a first step in strengthening our professional team with Sparsholt’s expertise in land stewardship, we will be able to better identify opportunities for learning and biodiversity by carefully curating the Legacy Land. This is an incredible opportunity for Winchester, one which combines innovation and nature whilst maximising social and environmental impact for the local community. We are tremendously excited and privileged to be seeking to create a landmark addition to Winchester’s public green space.”

Julie Milburn, Principal at Sparsholt College said: “As a proud Winchester educational institution, Sparsholt is delighted to be working in collaboration with the Bushfield Camp development team. The Legacy Land presents an exciting opportunity to put our 125 years of land management and stewardship experience to good use locally, furthering the education of our students and protecting and enhancing this important green space for the local community and the wildlife it supports.”

Ben Rodgers, Head of Regeneration, L&G added: “Our collaboration with Sparsholt College is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that the Legacy Land supports biodiversity and we look forward to exploring options with the College to also make the land aneducational resource for the community. Our commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and community engagement remains at the core of our vision for Bushfield Camp.”

For more information on the Bushfield Camp regeneration project, please visit: www.bushfieldcampregeneration.co.uk