AN EXTRAORDINARY planning meeting is being held to discuss plans for a housing development on Whitsbury Road in Fordingbridge.

The outline application for land to the west of Whitsbury Road is for a residential development and change of use of land to Alternative Natural Recreational Greenspace (ANRG) and other on-site infrastructure.

It has been put forward by Pennyfarthing Homes. Previously around 400 homes had been proposed for the site but the number of homes is expected to be 365.

Fordingbridge Town Council's planning committee will discuss the application on Monday November 29 at 7.30pm in the Town Hall.

It will make recommendations to New Forest District Council, who are the planning authority and decide whether applications are granted planning permission.

The plans

As part of the plans a new roundabout on Whitsbury Road would be created and a bridge across Sweatford Water as well as crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

An Alternative Natural Recreational Greenspace would be provided with other areas of open space.

The site is part of Strategic Site 17, which has been allocated for development in New Forest District Council’s Local Plan with an estimated minimum capacity of 330 homes.

A smaller development is being planned at Tinkers Cross of 64 homes, which is the subject of a separate planning application by Pennyfarthing Homes.

The application has already sparked concerns over the impact on traffic and infrastructure as well as wildlife, the loss of green and open space, flooding and impact schools and health services.

Access to the site would be via a new roundabout onto Whitsbury Road. Planning documents state that alternatives including a crossroads and traffic signal controlled junction have been considered but would be "less appropriate" from an "operational or safety perspective .

It has, the documents state, been "designed to be as small as possible to accommodate vehicles (including buses), pedestrians and cyclists."

The ANRG areas have also been revised to exclude the sites of importance for nature conservation (SINC) to the north of the woodland adjacent to Sweatfords Water and part of the woodland.

Additional children’s play areas are proposed in the centre of the site and formal crossing points over the access road will also be included in two places to ensure the road is "easy to cross and allow continuation of the two sections of ANRG either side of the road".

According to the plans the proposed distribution of the densities across the site has also been revised, with the area of higher density in the centre of the site reduced and the lower density area in the west and south west increased.

This, the application documents say, has led to a corresponding reduction in the potential number of dwellings to be accommodated on the site.

Objections

There have been objections to the Whitsbury Road plan on New Forest District Council’s website about the impact on infrastructure, roads and traffic, local facilities, wildlife and the loss of open space.

When the application was discussed earlier in the year by Fordingbridge Town Council concerns were raised over the new roundabout and access road.

Councillors also called for more detailed plans for the roundabout.

How to attend the planning meeting

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. To register a place email town.clerk@fordingbridge.gov.uk

How to view the application

Visit New Forest District Council's website and use application reference 21/10052.

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