A COUNCILLOR has complained over the lack of action by the enforcement team over a development in the southern parishes. 

Cllr Paula Langford-Smith, who represents Denmead on Winchester City Council, urged civic chiefs to take more action on unapproved development. 

At the full council meeting on Tuesday, July 16, she said: “People in Denmead are very concerned about unapproved development that is changing the face of our countryside. Despite reporting issues to the council Enforcement Team, there appears to be no action and cases disappear from the radar. How can you assure residents that enforcement has teeth in Denmead?”

Cllr Jackie Porter, cabinet member for place and local plan, said: “Winchester City Council is committed to rigorous enforcement. The enforcement team has had success in taking cases to the inspector and we've had three in the last year that have been very serious cases and have taken our officers a long time to work through. 

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Forest Road (Image: Google Street View)

“Officers and I have met with a Denmead parish councillor to discuss a site of concern in your ward, but Winchester City Council always wants to do better and we will be revising our enforcement policy.”

Cllr Langford-Smith mentioned a specific case. She said: “On Forest Road towards Worlds End, there's a development that had an enforcement notice in 2017 that had a deadline of three months to restore it to farmland and remove the 40 tonnes of concrete. It was ignored by the owner and subsequently not followed-up by the enforcement team. As a direct result we now have a development of all the fields around that one field with illegal waste processing and a dog park with rest facilities which is actually new housing.

“We now have new buildings of 12 stables and many caravans, but the officers say it's fine since it only floods in winter and the caravans are only there during the summer. 

“How will you assure residents that you will deal with the issues we face and preserve our precious countryside and the wildlife ecosystem?”

Cllr Porter replied: “You will appreciate I can't discuss a specific case at today's meeting, but I'm very happy to have a conversation at a session at Winchester City Council with the officers present.”