A CONTROVERSIAL plan for 1,300 homes on the outskirts of Romsey has almost clocked up one objection for each house proposed.

Respondents to the consultation on the latest draft of Test Valley Borough Council’s Revised Local Plan have sent out a clear message: “We don’t want the Whitenap development.”

Ex-Romsey mayor and Lib Dem borough councillor, Mark Cooper, said he was not surprised. “There were 1,107 objections to the Whitenap development and five representations in support in the current draft of the Revised Local Plan.”

He added that the first draft of the revised Local Plan in January generated 950 objections to the proposed Whitenap development and opposition was continuing to rise.

Mr Cooper said the council should now listen to the people. “If the spirit of ‘localism’ is to be believed, TVBC should go back to the drawing board and redraft the Local Plan. If they don’t, the borough will be seen as riding roughshod over Romsey,” added Mr Cooper.

He said that both the town and Romsey Extra Parish Council, along with Romsey and District Society and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England had all objected to the proposed Whitenap development.

Pointing out that TVBC was due to stage another consultation on the Local Plan in September, Mr Cooper concluded: “The process is designed to produce consultation fatigue. Test Valley’s cabinet was hoping that the opposition would fade away. Well, it hasn’t. It’s stronger than ever.”

However, the borough’s cabinet spokesman for planning, Martin Hatley, said the council had a duty to select sites for future housing needs.

“We have to find 196 dwellings per year in southern Test Valley up to 2029. We are pleased that so many people have taken the time to comment on the Revised Local Plan. All views will be carefully considered.

“It has been generally agreed, including by Councillor Cooper in public at a Romsey Forum meeting ,that more dwellings need to be provided by the borough in southern Test Valley. The number that has been put forward is the absolute minimum that could be justified to the inspector at the Revised Local Plan inquiry next year.”

He added: “Consequently, what is being considered is not the number of dwellings, but the location of them.

“Wherever we propose to put such a large-scale number of dwellings, we would expect a very large number of residents to express their views. Whitenap has been identified and the site ticks all the right boxes.

“My fear is that if sites are suggested that we have rejected, as not sustainable and unlikely to assist the traders of Romsey,and are put forward as alternatives, the inspector might increase the number of dwellings by allocating these sites, too. We could end up with Whitenap and other sites.”

The proposed Whitenap site, part of the Ashfield Estate, is bordered by Tadburn Road in the north, the A27 (Southampton Road) in the west and Ashfield in the south. It also takes in Beggarspath Wood on its south-eastern flank. Beggarspath Wood will be enhanced if the proposals get the green light when the draft Revised Local Plan is adopted.

The proposed development includes two large open spaces, a local centre with shops and other facilities and a new bridge over the Romsey to Southampton railway line for vehicular access. Other planned vehicular access sites are at Ashfield roundabout, another off Luzborough Lane (A27), and one at Whitenap Lane.