Villagers prepare for homes fight (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Villagers prepare for homes fight

9:14am Thursday 4th February 2010 in

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A RESIDENTS’ association has been formed as villagers on the outskirts of Basingstoke attempt to fight off plans to build 134 homes on a farm.

Worting residents fear plans by building firm Wates for Worting Farm will quadruple the size of their village, cause traffic problems and encourage further development.

Charles Huggett, chairman of the newly-formed Worting Area Residents’ Association, said: “The residents don’t want it.”

“Worting is a village within a conservation area which will be ‘Wortingstoke’ sooner or later. We will lose all of our character.”

The group is also worried further development could take place on the site of the village hall, which has been sold to an unknown buyer and has left the village Scout group without a home.

Mr Huggett said: “As a village, losing our Scouts as well will be a great loss. The village will disappear into Basingstoke’s urban sprawl.

“We like our little village and we want to keep our little village as it is.”

Councillor Robert Taylor, who represents Worting on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, said Worting Farm was not a site identified as necessary for development to ensure enough homes were built in the borough in the next five years.

He said: “There is a very strong feeling this development should not take place.

“There’s a huge groundswell of opinion from the residents that they will be objecting in the strongest possible way and that particular piece of land doesn’t fit in development plans for the borough.”

Wates is proposing a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes, with 54 affordable properties.

The company has held a consultation event with Worting residents and claimed a “great deal of care and attention” had gone into developing appropriate house designs for the location.

Open space – including a play zone, kickabout area and parkland – would exceed normal requirements for such a development, while an upgraded roundabout on the Worting Road and Roman Road junction would reduce traffic jams and ease traffic flow, the developer added.

Wates Developments managing director David Brocklebank said: “Our plans will assist the council in delivering the Government requirement for much-needed new family housing, as well as affordable properties, in this area.”

The planning application has been delivered to the borough council.