THE large village of Hook could be in line for its first conservation area to protect its Edwardian and Victorian houses, a meeting heard.

Robert Thain, a planning officer at Hart District Council, spoke to Hook Parish Council last week about an initial document for future housing in the village.

The Urban Characterisation and Density Study, carried out by planning consultants The Conservation Studio, will form part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) – a blueprint for future housing in the Hart area.

Mr Thain told the meeting: “They have recommended to us to have a conservation area within Hook and given it a nominal name of Hook Village Green.

“That recommendation is going to be taken forward and we will see if Hook gets its first conservation area.”

The document, which is currently open to the public as part of a consultation period, contains ten maps and a 27-page written analysis of the housing available in the village.

It particularly cites the village green area and the surrounding houses in Newnham Road, and the houses in Morris Street, as being worthy of protection from new development.

The announcement went down well with parish councillors.

Cllr Jane Bonnin, chairman of the planning committee at Hook Parish Council, said: “It is brilliant that somebody is giving recognition to the green because I have been trying to do that for 25 years.”

Chairman Cllr Martin Whittaker said: “I have been at the parish council for nearly 10 years and it’s the first time that somebody from the centre, so to speak, has said something nice about Hook.”

The consultation period for the planning document will end on March 15, and copies are available at the Civic Offices, in Harlington Way, Fleet, and online at hart.gov.uk.

The document will then go before the LDF Steering Group at Hart District Council later this year.