OVER 80 new homes are set to be built in Whitchurch after the borough council gave the go-ahead to the scheme.

Banner Homes and Bewley Homes were granted planning permission to build 83 homes on land south of Bloswood Lane, in Whitchurch.

The full planning application for the new homes was submitted to the borough council by the developers in April 2013.

The development will provide 40 per cent affordable housing, containing a mix of two one-bedroom flats, 10 two-bedroom flats, four two-bedroom bungalows, 14 two-bedroom houses and three three-bedroom houses, with a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes for the remaining 50 dwellings.

The developers have also proposed 176 on-street car parking spaces to serve the residential development. In addition, Banner Homes and Bewley Homes have been told that they will need to make financial contributions to local community facilities and both Whitchurch Primary and Testbourne Secondary School.

Councillor Keith Watts, borough councillor for Whitchurch, spoke in favour of the scheme at the development committee hearing. He said: “Once I decided that it is not possible to provide homes that Whitchurch needs without building on some green fields, I decided that this site is the least inappropriate.

“This plan provides 33 affordable homes, including four two-bedroom bungalows to rent and 50 houses for sale on the open market. Applying the numbers from the draft Local Plan, they amount to just over three years’ worth of the housing supply for Whitchurch.”

Cllr David Leeks, councillor for Tadley South, proposed to approve the development which was supported by all 13 councillors on the committee.

He said: “I would recommend approval. We have the ward councillor and Town Council all agreeing that it is a nice idea.”