Major plans for a new business park near North Baddesley

Developer Stratland applied for the 16-unit park on the land east of Premier Way and south of Botley Road, North Baddesley.

The development would comprise three buildings and includes 81 car parking spaces. 

Two public objections have been submitted to Test Valley Borough Council.

Leon Mead said: “We need to maintain the natural habitat, we can not keep destroying local habitat. It will add to congestion in the already heavily congested area. 

“It will cause added pollution to the area at a time when we are needing to reduce pollution. The units of built will draw on energy through their usages creating pollution and the businesses activities will add to pollution. As well as the added transport in and out of the proposed site to be developed which will add a heavy amount of pollution.

“The area has been over developed, which has caused the villagers and local towns people of Romsey distress and added stress with the thought of having to breathe more pollution in and the stress on their local energy supplies and amenities.”

Karen Wren, of North Baddesley, said: “Nature is being destroyed and habitats lost due to over development. It would be a travesty to allow approval of an unnecessary extension to this, already overpopulated, industrial area.

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“The area is already congested due to the movement of traffic around the Abbey Park industrial estate. Notwithstanding the impact on local roads from the additional residential properties currently being built at Hoe Lane and a plan recently unveiled to build 300 homes in Halterworth Lane.

“The local infrastructure is bursting at the seams and the majority of residents in North Baddesley certainly don’t want further extension of industrial development, or indeed, residential.”

Geoff Cooper, Test Valley councillor for North Baddesley, said: “Based on the borough's current local plan, the proposed site sits within the designated Local Gap between Romsey and North Baddesley. Local Gaps are important to help preserve the individual identity of our communities and stop urban sprawl. Local Gaps should be protected to help prevent overdevelopment, so I would object to this application on this basis. The draft new local plan does not appear to offer protection to all Local Gaps and this is something the Lib Dems and I will be looking at very carefully."

On the application's planning statement, it said: “The local plan policies map identifies the site as being outside of but contiguous to the settlement boundary of Romsey and adjacent the strategic employment site known as Abbey Park Industrial Estate. It therefore lies within the countryside, where it is also located within the defined settlement gap between Romsey and North Baddesley. The proposed development is therefore, in principle, contrary to policies in the current local plan which seek to restrict development in the countryside and to protect the local gap. There are, however, relevant material considerations which justify the proposed development despite these policy conflicts.

“The application seeks planning permission for the erection of new employment floorspace, on land adjacent to Abbey Park Industrial Estate, south of Botley Road. The site forms a natural extension to the Abbey Park Industrial Estate and presents the opportunity to provide the additional employment floorspace required in the Borough in a sustainable location. The proposal also achieves a considerable net gain in biodiversity through onsite enhancements.”

For more details bout the application, search 23/03214/FULLS on Test Valley Borough Council's online planning portal.