A photographer has captured the beauty of a field filled with thousands of pink poppies which is set to be developed into houses.

Lorraine Finney took the images on the Manydown estate along Roman Road in Winklebury at 5.30am when the light was perfect.

She said: "It is a shame this area will become housing soon."

The photographer, whose work can be viewed here, was due to hold an exhibition which was sadly cancelled due to coronavirus. 

She said: "I was due to have my first solo exhition two days before lockdown but had to be cancelled. Fortunately It has been re scheduled."

Basingstoke Gazette:

Councillors are due to make a decision over whether to build homes on the fields this upcoming Wednesday (July 8).

The project would see 3,520 new homes, businesses, shops, community facilities, schools built on the 250-acre country park.

The crunch meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 8, at 2pm online. Anyone can watch via YouTube.

Cllr Paul Miller, chair of the council's planning committee, said previously: “Manydown is the largest site allocated for housing in the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan and, as it was ready for the committee to consider in March, we were keen for it to be scheduled for a meeting as soon as possible.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Basingstoke Gazette:

He said: "The virtual meetings that we have held so far with smaller applications have gone well so we now feel in a position that we can reschedule this as a virtual meeting.

"Given the size and complexity of the development and the amount of information councillors will need to consider, the meeting on Wednesday 8 July will only consider this outline planning application.”

The outline planning application, which will be decided on July 8, seeks permission for the overall principles of developing the site, including the type and size of development and the infrastructure to be provided, specifically the three vehicular access points onto the B3400, A339 and Roman Road.

It does not provide a detailed layout of the development or the designs of buildings and spaces. This would follow in future planning documents and detailed applications.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council are applying for the development, whilst the councillors on the committee will decide whether or not to grant permission.

Who is on the planning committee? 

Conservatives (6): P Miller, D Leeks, N Robinson, D George, S Godesen, A Court

Labour (3): R Cooper, S Grant, A McCormick

Lib Dems (1): M Bound

Independents (2): D Potter, C Tomblin