Committee refuses permission for 450 Basingstoke homes against planning officer's recommendation

Plans for the 21 acre development included a community centre and a primary school on land to the north of Marnel Park. Developer David Wilson Homes Southern also applied for detailed permission for 200 homes on the site, but the application was deferred due to time constraints.

Members of the Council’s Development Control Committee resolved to refuse outline planning permission for the scheme at a meeting earlier this week, despite the fact permission had been recommended in the Officer's report (90-Pages / 518KB PDF).

The Officer's report found that the proposed development was in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and it "would deliver housing development in accordance with the Borough's land supply requirements."

"Through the provision of a Section 106 agreement the development will provide adequate infrastructure to mitigate the impact of the development in relation to community provision, open space, affordable housing, transport and education," the report said.

However, the application was only being considered by the Council's Development Control Committee due to the number of objections received.

"Whilst I accept we need more housing and in particular social rented properties I fail to see the logic of squeezing 450 more properties into Popley. This space is the last sliver of land that divides Sherborne St John from Basingstoke," said Councillor Jane Frankum.

"This proposal will alter the landscape and destroy protected wildlife, such as, the Great Crested Newts. Species that will also be affected are the, Skylarks, and slow worm, which are also decreasing in numbers," she said.