FORDINGBRIDGE Town Council unanimously objected to plans for 145 homes at Whitsbury Road at a packed meeting.

The development by Pennyfarthing Homes and The Highwood Group is made up of 39 detached houses, 31 pairs of semi-detached houses and blocks of flats. It also includes public open space and Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).

Concerns raised by councillors and residents at the meeting on March 22 included the impact on existing traffic and parking problems, infrastructure, existing flooding issues and the impact on wildlife and .

Planning committee chairman Cllr Rosemary Fulford said: “We cannot provide anything to support this application.”

Traffic and parking were major concerns, as was the impact on the “chock full” schools and the “stretched” doctors surgery.

Cllr Fulford said: “In Fordingbridge we provide a desirable and pleasant environment that people want to live in, close to beautiful open country, the lovely Avon river and the New Forest National Park.

"Developers benefit from this, so, is it too much to ask them to respect our historic town which is starting to crumble under the strain of increased traffic, and respect for our residents and the quality of the houses which are proposed for them?”

Mayor Malcolm Connolly said the town’s problems and concerns had been “glossed over” and that at a “very conservative” estimate Fordingbridge would be looking at an increase of 300 cars on the roads.

A number of roads were “oversubscribed” with heavy goods vehicles while others had become “permanent rat runs”, he added.

Concerns were raised over the traffic assessment. But representatives for the developers said a “comprehensive” assessment had been carried out on nearby roads.

The need for a road from the north to the A338 was highlighted. One resident warned that once the site was in place there would be no passage for a by-pass. He said: “We need to think about it now not afterwards.”

Tim Norman-Walker said it was time Hampshire, Dorset and even Wiltshire councils “get off their bottoms” and looked at the road infrastructure to prevent the town becoming “jam solid”.

When asked about plans for the Burgate School and money for more places, a representative for the developers said talks with NFDC were ongoing.

Concerns were also raised about the impact on traffic and infrastructure from other potential developments near the town.

Cllr Connolly added: “It is jolly unfair to review this planning application in isolation knowing that in two months’ time we could get a whole swathe of other developments.”

The comments will be submitted before NFDC makes a decision.