A BLUEPRINT for new housing in Hart that was rejected earlier this year could take more than a year to be redrawn.

The news comes as developer Barratt Homes has sought advice about building 200 homes near Winchfield railway station, a meeting heard.

In August, planning inspector Kevin Ward rejected Hart District Council’s Local Plan, a blueprint for housing development in Hart until 2029.

He called the plan “not sound”, criticised Hart’s work with other authorities, and said its figure of 236 homes per year was too low.

At a meeting of Winchfield Parish Council on Monday, Councillor Stephan Gorys, current chairman of Hart District Council, said it would take longer than anticipated to come up with a new Local Plan.

He said: “The plan had been to do it relatively quickly. I suspect now we are talking another year to 18 months until we are back at the point we hoped we would be this summer. That gives a lot bigger window of vulnerability.”

Asked whether the new plan would potentially mean more housing for Winchfield, he said: “I do not think we can discount it totally.”

Tim Davies, a former Hart councillor who lives in the village, told the meeting that Barratt Homes last week sought pre-application advice from Hart District Council to build 200 homes near Winchfield railway station.

Cllr Andrew Renshaw, chairman of Winchfield Parish Council, said the news was “a bombshell” but added that he expected the developer to look at Winchfield after building the St Mary’s Park estate in neighbouring Hartley Wintney.

In October, Daryl Phillips, corporate director at Hart District Council, told parish councils in western villages likes Winchfield and Odiham to expect more development.

Large-scale developments in the pipeline include building around 100 homes at Rifle Range Farm, in Fleet Road, Hartley Wintney, and 50 homes in Alton Road, Odiham.