Plan for 50 homes in rural North Hampshire village labelled 'unsustainable'

The local parish council for the ‘Woodside View’ development in Bishops Green, which could see 50 homes built in the village, have hit out at the plans – describing them as “unsuitable” and “unsustainable”.

Housing developer Hathor Property has submitted proposals for the homes on greenfield land on the west side of Ecchinswell Road, which is currently used as a paddock.

It argued that the scheme would be a “logical extension” to Bishops Green and would connect the village to a recently approved application for four homes to the north of the site.

The plans have been met with resistance however from Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green Parish Council, which said the application hadn’t been designed “to meet a locally agreed need”.

It argued that under the borough council’s Local Plan and council’s Settlement Study 2020, Bishops Green is classed as a ‘Category 5 settlement – small village’, with settlements of this size only suitable for limited growth, “mainly to meet local needs and maintain the vitality of the village”.

It added that under the council’s Local Plan Update – which guides where developments will be built in the borough – the village has been allocated 15 homes, well below the proposed 50.

The developer is hoping to take advantage of the borough council’s lack of a five year housing land supply, with the presumption then in favour of sustainable development under the national planning policy framework.

However, the council argue that the development isn’t sustainable for environmental, social or economic reasons.

In its objection response, it said within the landscape and visual impact assessment submitted in the proposal it recognised that the development would increase the “urbanising influences on the landscape”.

It added: “The workforce created by these proposed homes, in the majority, would inevitably have to undertake car journeys to further afield opportunities in Newbury, Thatcham, Kingsclere or Basingstoke.

“The rural location of the proposed site is completely unsuited to achieve a sustainable economic objective.

"With respect to the social objective, we would dispute the idea that a 22 per cent increase in the size of the village from 230 to 280 homes ‘would enhance the vitality and viability of the local community facilities’.

“A development of this size would significantly change the rural feel of this village and put further strain on services.”

It pointed to a lack of local amenities, with a primary school, secondary school, supermarket and doctors all more than 3km away.

The application, which is directly opposite the College Copse Fields proposals for 350 homes, will go to the borough council for consideration.

To view the plans, go to the borough council’s planning portal and enter the reference 22/00174/OUT.