MORE than 70 residents have formally objected to plans to renovate Odiham’s deer park. Despite support from Odiham Parish Council (OPC), which at an EGM last week voted to not object to the plans to change the use of agricultural land at Dunley’s Hill, locals have voiced their concern at the plans by registering anger with Hart District Council (HDC).

Last month, Bell Cornwell, the developers submitting the application to create a new extended car park, community building, eight dwellings and residential curtilages, as well as a deer shelter, on the site on behalf of the land’s owner Richard Revell, resubmitted the proposals to the district council.

Many of the opposers to the plan cite concerns the park, which for the past 400 years has been used for agriculture, could be “ruined” by any development.

Chris Aylward, of Cranford, Dunley’s Hill, said: “The proposed development will ruin this area with the creation of unnecessary housing, whose very presence on the Deer Park will disrupt the current peaceful surroundings with the required access causing additional noise and disturbance to the neighbouring residents as well as the abundant wildlife.

“I would question the need for additional parking, I have never found a problem parking in Odiham, and does Odiham require another village hall?”

Nathanael Jenkins, from Manley James Close, Odiham, labelled the proposals “utterly outrageous”.

He added: “With so many new houses being built in Odiham already, much of the green space is disappearing; this application would not only destroy much of the atmosphere and ‘feel’ of the park but would also open a space for larger developments in the park, which would transform even more of Odiham’s dwindling rural spaces into an uglier, urban environment.”

However, some residents maintain the plans could be good for the local community. Antony Clark, of Chestnut Grove, Fleet, said: “This proposal will improve parking, which is drastically needed for visitors to the area.

“It will improve the recreational facilities providing something different which will I hope provide educational resource and and also support some of the much forgotten historical context of Odiham.

“When comparing this to so many other schemes in the area the gift of such a large open space seems a wonderful idea and one that can be appreciated for many generations to come.”

At OPC’s EGM, residents were also given a chance to express opinions on the plans. Graham Plumbe, a local resident and leader of Save the Deer Park Action Group – a campaign hoping to preserve the deer park in its current format – said the proposals conflicted with the village’s Neighbourhood Plan.

The plans were resubmitted last month after Bell Cornwell withdrew them.

At the time, 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.”