CONTROVERSIAL plans to site three gypsy pitches on land in Sherfield-on-Loddon have been refused.

As previously reported by The Gazette, residents of Sherfield Park were concerned when hundreds of trees were illegally felled in Dixon Road.

And fears over what could follow the tree felling soon became a reality when a planning application to change the use of the land, to site three gypsy pitches along with hard-standing and ancillary utility/dayrooms, was submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

But the application, which was submitted in August by Green Planning Studio on behalf of one of the owners of the site, Boysie Biddle, of Justin Park, Leicestershire, has now been refused by planning officers at the borough council.

Officers concluded that the scheme would result in the loss of protected trees which are important to the appearance of the local landscape, and noted that insufficient information had been supplied by the applicant to demonstrate the noise and habitats impact from the development.

The borough council received 539 letters of objection from the public.

In a refusal notice issued by the borough council, planning and development manager Mike Townsend said that Mr Biddle has six months to appeal the decision.

Mr Townsend added: “It has not been satisfactorily demonstrated, to the standard required by the local planning authority, that the proposed development would provide adequate visibility sightlines at the junction of the Dixon Road public footpath with the Reading Road A33.

“As a result, the proposed development could result in danger, inconvenience, obstruction and interrupt the free flow of traffic thereby adding to the hazards of users of the access and adjoining public highway.”

Elaine Still, borough councillor for Chineham and Hampshire county councillor for the Loddon ward, welcomed news of the planning rejection.

She told The Gazette: “Obviously, I feel the objections were justified. It is not the correct place to have any dwellings. The wood is a biodiversity and ecology area and it is the buffer zone between the two settlements so any dwellings would not be appropriate.

“I am pleased with the officers’ decision. I think they have made the right decision for the reasons stated.”

Mr Biddle, along with the other registered owners, John and Sammy Smith, of Almond Close, Farnborough, and James Tombs, of Forest Farm, Tadley, were issued with a court injunction to prevent them carrying out further unlicensed work on the site. The Forestry Commission has also ordered them to replant the trees felled by June 30, 2015.

Mr Biddle was due to appear at Aldershot Magistrates’ Court on December 11 charged with felling a tree without a felling licence.