RINGWOOD residents can have their say on outline plans for up to 491 new homes.

A virtual public consultation has started regarding the proposals for Moortown Lane.

The virtual presentation by St Congar Group is available to view on a dedicated website set up for the consultation. The company says the homes will range from one bed flats to four bed detached houses.

A presentation board said: “This will provide a broad choice of properties within the local housing market, whether that is for first time buyers or people wishing to ‘right size’ to a home more suitable for their needs.”

More than 55 per cent of the site, approximately 37 acres, is set to be new public open space and Alternative Natural Recreational Greenspace, which would be made up of parkland, equipped and informal play areas, and amenity space for outdoor activities such as dog walking, exercise and outdoor sport.

New footpaths and cycleways would also be created.

Last month, a presentation was given to Ringwood Town Council from St Congar, who are a land promotion business, and the project team, who are developing plans the Moortown Lane, which is strategic site 13 in New Forest District Council’s local plan.

The site has been allocated for at least 480 homes as well as provision of open space.

Alan Bennett, of Ken Parke Planning, said the vision was to create a “well-designed and considered landscape-led development, which positively integrates with the existing urban area of Ringwood and fosters a strong sense of community and brings forward new recreational opportunities on the doorstep of local residents and also which contributes towards the established character of Ringwood as a green settlement on the edge of the New Forest National Park”.

The scheme would also look to provide a “connected route” from the A31 down to Christchurch Road.

The main vehicle access into the site onto Moortown Lane was likely to be a priority junction.

And there would also be a network of roads allowing for possible future connections to the north and east. New walking and cycling routes are also proposed.

Deputy mayor, Philip Day raised concerns about the connectivity from the A31 at Christchurch Road due to the narrowness of Crow Lane and the “lack of any main access into the site other than from Moortown Lane”, which was also narrow.

Councillor Jeremy Heron felt a priority junction for the site access “would not satisfy the traffic flow” and a roundabout was needed. The meeting heard this would be looked at carefully.

The meeting heard the site would deliver up to 491 market and affordable homes including one and two bed apartments and homes, to five-bed family homes.

Affordable housing would be provided but the proportion has yet to be confirmed. There would be a 50/50 split of market and affordable homes, the meeting heard.

The affordable homes would be a mix of tenures, with an element of shared ownership and rented.

In terms of schooling there could be an “upgrade” at the existing Poulner schools site. But this was a matter for New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council.

The meeting heard there was no room for expansion at the Ringwood primary school sites.

Councillor Hilary Edge said shops and schools were already “over capacity” and roads were already congested. She said another primary school was needed as well as more shops.

Visit: moortownlane.co.uk. The consultation runs until Monday, May 3.

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