A PARISH councillor fears his village will be destroyed by new housing development.

Cllr Grahame Hewitt has labelled the committee making decisions regarding planning applications in the borough as “out of touch”, adding: “The future of Basingstoke is in trouble”.

The 75-year-old father-of-three, who lives in The Vale, in Oakley, said the village is being destroyed by new developments because consideration is not given to providing enough parking spaces.

An application was granted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council on September 9 to demolish industrial units in Brickells Yard, Oakley, to make way for 10 two and three-bedroomed homes.

Cllr Hewitt, who has lived in Oakley for nine years and is a former press photographer, said: “The big issues that the committee overlook is the fact that cars are here to stay.

“All houses built today need adequate off-road parking for more than two cars.

“We have many examples of roads with cars parked on both sides where emergency vehicles, rubbish collection, fire services would have trouble gaining access and there are many residents having trouble even getting in and out of their own properties due to cars parked on the road opposite their drives.”

He added: “The recent development of Ashley Gardens through to Brickells Yard will become a ghetto with an over-developed site, inadequate off-road parking, nowhere to store rubbish bins and no access for large vehicles, and cause enormous stress to the residents of existing Ashley Gardens, already struggling with lack of parking spaces.”

Head of planning and infrastructure at the borough council, Matthew Evans, said: “Members of the council’s development control committee visited the site for the Brickells Yard application prior to discussing it at the committee meeting on September 7.

"The application, which included a proposal for 25 parking spaces for the 10 homes, which is above the council’s adopted standard of 18 spaces, was considered acceptable.”