A MAJOR scheme in a Hampshire market town has provoked opposition and will be decided by Winchester planning chiefs this week.
Alistair Harris, of Metis Homes, has applied to demolish three industrial units at The Dean, Alresford, and build 14 flats and a 40-space public car park.
The scheme will be decided by Winchester City Council's planning committee on Wednesday, July 17.
The proposal includes access, parking, cycle storage, refuse storage, landscaping and other associated works.
A total of 24 objections have been received, along with nine neutral and three supporting comments.
Site plan (Image: WCC)
Cllr Jackie Porter said: “The properties are not provided with open space. Although it should be readily accessible for residents who can see the park from their windows, this is not clear in the plans I can see, and the flats only seem to have access to a hard landscaped area, with no privacy from the car park or members of the public coming through to their cars. Fumes from those cars will create poor air quality in their 'social area' too.”
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New Alresford Town Council said there were not enough parking spaces. A comment said: “NATC agree that this property development would benefit New Alresford by achieving more accommodation and a public car park but feel that there is inadequate parking for 14 apartments.
“Would it be possible to make up this deficit from the public parking spaces? The reason for these comments are due to contentious parking issues around the town and especially The Dean.”
Objector Timothy Constable, of Orchard Dean, Alresford, said: “This application as proposed will obstruct the view of countryside areas around Fobdown from the south end of The Dean.
Existing site plan (Image: WCC)
“If the view were destroyed it would turn the area around The Dean into a virtually total urban environment without any links to the surrounding countryside.
“The obstruction of the view is a result of incompetent planning that fails to take proper account of local factors. The developers should be instructed to adjust the plan to save the sightline towards Fobdown from The Dean.”
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Supporter Jeremy Wells, also of Orchard Dean, said: “The proposed development has to be welcomed given the current urgent requirement for new housing generally and the local requirement for extra car parking in Alresford. The proposed design of the apartments and the surrounding landscaping is aesthetically in keeping with the existing properties in the Dean and would make much better use of the space than the current unsightly row of business units which somehow have only ever looked like they were a temporary solution in attendance of a more appropriate plan for the area.”
City council planning officers are recommending it for approval. The officers' report said: “Overall, the scheme is well designed and will create a distinctive addition to the local area. Other planning considerations, such as landscape, ecology drainage, water, construction and waste management have been addressed appropriately. The application is therefore considered acceptable.”
For more details about the scheme, search 23/00701/FUL on Winchester City Council's online planning portal.
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