RESIDENTS have objected to plans to build eight new homes on a piece of land currently used as a car park.

Quadron Investments Limited has applied to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to build five, one and two bedroom flats in a three-storey block and three, three-bedroom houses in Halliday Close, Cranbourne.

However, those living nearby are objecting because the plans will leave them with nowhere to park their cars in an area that is already congested.

Andy Brown, 40, said the land is allocated car-parking for two blocks of maisonettes, including the one he lives in.

The father-of-one said: “Halliday Close is already a single-vehicle road because cars are parked both sides and on the pavement. This piece of land is regularly used as an over-flow car park by people unable to find a space in Halliday Close, as well as by those of us who live around it.

“Building an extra eight homes on a very small piece of land will exacerbate the problem and leave the current residents with nowhere to park.

“Quadron have shown themselves to be irresponsible landowners, by trying to cram as many homes as possible onto a tiny piece of land while giving no consideration to those of us already living here.”

Basingstoke Heritage Society has submitted an objection to the proposal, describing it as “a cramped development out of keeping and incongruous with the context of the surrounding area with the three storeys overbearing the neighbours”.

The society described the parking provision as “unworkable and unrealistic” adding: “We are uncertain as to the access arrangements to the development given the cramped difficult parking already existing in the Halliday Close area.”

Kevin Grant, from Halliday Close, has also objected to the plans because of problems with parking along his road.

He said: “Parking is bad enough down our end of Halliday as it is, this is just going to make things worse. It will increase the traffic coming in and out of the road.”

Tony Green, of Midlane Close, has to drive along Halliday Close to reach his home, and said: “I already find it difficult to drive in and out with cars double parking and leaving restricted access. I have said on many occasions, if ever there was a fire, a fire engine would not get through.”

He has called for someone from the council’s planning department to visit the area during the evening or weekend to see the parking problems.

The application states that the area is currently used as a car park, and details provision for 10 parking spaces for the new development.

However, it provides no details regarding where the current residents will park.

It also states that the three-storey apartment block is too close to the other properties, falling short of the recommended 28m.

However, it said this is “considered appropriate” because of “the prevailing character of the surrounding area and the shorter distances between existing buildings”, adding: “Overall, the proposal will not result in significant levels of mutual overlooking or loss of privacy to existing or future residents”.

The application states that the proposals will not “contribute to traffic congestion or parking problems either in the immediate vicinity of the site or on the wider highway network”.

It adds: “The proposals include ample provision of residential car parking, cycle parking and waste/recycling storage within safe, secured and easily accessible areas for residents, visitors and waste/recycling operators.”

Despite describing it as a car park in the application, Paul Alterman, owner of Quadron, said: “It’s not a car park. No one has the right to park their cars there. It has to be described as something in the application, so car park has been used rather than vacant land.”

He said he did not put up the sign saying the area is allocated parking for two blocks of maisonettes.

He added: “Everyone needs more housing and they [the council] wants something done about the land.”