Each week we are asking one member from each Working Group to share what they discussed at each meeting and plan to do for the next session. Here is the final Home Working Group overview:

Our last session as a group and it was our last chance to share our ideas and solutions – for now.

For instance:

Digital – much as we need better physical signposting we also need, as a city, online information in terms of travel options, facilities, events. A onestop app perhaps. Lets put this out to the city’s IT/marketing gurus to deliver.

Community Hubs – lets identify and utilize existing external and internal spaces in each neighbourhood for community activities. Lets engage with local schools and the universities, use surface car parks or even small public areas close to a parade of shops for food stalls, art and craft and vintage clothing markets, mobile takeaways or service providers (cobbler, bike repair, barber, library, restaurant). Lets explore moving the market between different locations to encourage more people to use it.

Housing – lets add more housing to the strongest, most sustainable neighbourhoods to relieve pressure on the centre. And engage experienced local designers to clearly explain the options in terms of fulfilling local housing need so that existing residents see that there are no easy ones.

Bring solutions – one of the best ways to get things done is to build solutions and make it easy for the ‘powers that be’ to say yes.

Easy wins – although nothing seems that easy we can simplify decision-making for those with the responsibilities of power.

We discussed timescales for Action and agreed on these: Short = 1 month (although the initial suggestion was a week); Medium = 6 months; Long = 12 months.

HOW: we talked about forming the Winchester Guerillas, or an A (Action) Team. Modestly resourced local doers (something Winchester is blessed with lots of) would apply their private sector project management and delivery skills to making small projects happen in the city.  These would be based on the 5 Working Group targets and spread across the city.

HOW: Neighbourhood Action Plans – we briefly discussed a more long term route where NAPs are created through community engagement to identify a broad range of local projects. Could be linked to the earlier idea on building 20 Minute Neighbourhoods.

HOW: As champions of the local areas one solution could be for Ward councillors to lead on projects and Action in their area.

At one point someone said: Do the council recognise that they don’t have a great reputation for getting things done? Today’s commercial environment is all about being agile. What is needed is a culture change.

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