PLANS for a deer park in Odiham have been resubmitted to Hart District Council (HDC).

In October, Hook-based developer Bell Cornwell withdrew an application to change the use of agricultural land at Dunley’s Hill to alter some of its terms.

New safeguards have now been placed within the proposal, which was submitted again last week.

Bell Cornwell is working on behalf of Richard Revell, who owns the land and intends to create a new extended car park, community building, eight dwellings and residential curtilages, as well as a deer shelter, on the site.

Graham Bell, partner at Bell Cornwell, said: “Following the withdrawn application the owner asked leading counsel and lawyers to advise on firm and suitable long-term safeguards to be made very clear in the application so that the Parish council and the public would understand what was on offer.

"This has been done. All the parts of the scheme over the whole 104 acres remains as before and as presented to the public in the past.

“In the meantime the Examiner for the Neighbourhood Plan has agreed with the owner that the site is not suitable for the proposed restrictive designation as a ‘Local Green Space’ but the scheme and the long-term covenants on offer in this application will in effect deliver such a green space for the public.”

The plans to develop the land, which for the past 400 years has been used for agriculture, have not been universally accepted, despite backing from Odiham Parish Council.

Campaign group Save the Deer Park Action Group (SPAG) feel the changes to the site would not preserve the historic nature of the land. The group’s Hugh Sheppard said: “SPAG believes any such development would destroy the character of this designated Conservation Area.”

Odiham Parish Council is set to decide on its stance on the plans at a meeting on Monday January 23.