Plans for up to 250 homes unveiled for Station Road site, Ashford

The proposals being put forward by Infinite Homes, which are in the very early stages, were outlined during a consultation event at St Mary’s Church Hall in Fordingbridge last Wednesday.

The site has been allocated as a strategic site in the draft New Forest Local Plan, which has not been formally adopted.

A spokesman on behalf of Infinite Homes said plans for the scheme were in the “early concept stages”, adding: “We have got a lot to look at and comments to take into account.”

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The scheme would include green space and “small clusters” of larger houses “sensitively located within the valley landscape”. There would also be potential for an elderly care facility linked to the existing care home as well as the creation of a new entrance into the site from Station Road, and a network of new pedestrian and cycle paths.

Primary access would be via a priority junction onto Station Road, including a right lane turn into the site to “ensure free flow of traffic”.

Residents who attended the consultation raised concerns about the impact on Fordingbridge’s existing traffic and parking problems, as well as the infrastructure and services including the GP practice and schools.

One resident said: “The traffic can’t cope going through the high street.”

And another said that the infrastructure needed to be considered first and to look at the existing traffic situation in the town and the impact of extra vehicles.

A transport assessment is currently being prepared.

One resident said: “Obviously, the impact on the schools and the surgery is struggling to cope.”

She was also concerned about the impact on green space and surrounding wildlife near the proposed development site.

The developers hope to hold another public consultation prior to an application being submitted to New Forest District Council, which is expected to be in March 2019.