ONLY a quarter of a "high quality" housing development due to be built on the edge of Basingstoke can be lived in for now after concerns that the sewage network could back up.

Basingstoke Golf Course is due to be transformed into a 1,000 home housing development, after outline planning permission was granted last year for the site.

But planning documents reveal that there are concerns that the development may lead to sewage flooding and that network reinforcement works are anticipated to be necessary.

Thames Water advised that the sewage network could cope with 250 additional houses before it exceeded its capacity.

Because of that, a condition was imposed on the development, stating that no more than 250 dwellings can be occupied until there is confirmation that network upgrades required to accommodate the additional housing at the development have been completed, or a development and infrastructure phasing plan has been submitted to and approved by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Bloor Homes, the applicants of Basingstoke Golf Course, said it is "not opposed" to a phasing strategy for the development, and has submitted a planning application providing more details for the first 227 homes.

Thames Water, which provides sewerage services in Basingstoke, has previously told The Gazette that Basingstoke is one of the most difficult locations to serve with water and sewerage services.

A spokesperson said: "We work closely with developers and planning authorities across our region to ensure water and sewerage infrastructure can support growth, and where upgrades are needed to accommodate new developments, they will happen.

"We look at each development case by case and where needed will request conditions are added to planning applications, so for example, new homes are not occupied until the necessary upgrades to our infrastructure have taken place."

Planning documents submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council state: "The applicant is not not opposed to a phasing strategy, but has noted the above referenced obligation for Thames Water to meet the demands from the development, regardless of capacity, indicating that given the lawful requirement, that imposing such a condition to restrict occupation could be ultra vires [beyond one's legal power].

"Whilst Thames Water requests such a condition to allow the infrastructure to be delivered before capacity is reached, it is considered that there is also a legitimate planning reason to limit occupations, namely the amenity of residents, where without such infrastructure in place, in a worst case scenario, waste would have to be taken away by tanker, which may lead to noise and disturbance."

The development at Basingstoke Golf Course is a key jigsaw piece in development in the south west of Basingstoke - sitting opposite Hounsome Fields. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council worked alongside Bloor to create a Supplementary Planning Document "in order to deliver high quality and sustainable development".

Before councillors voted to grant outline planning permission last year, Cllr Ken Rhatigan said that the application was "unsupportable" when it first came in 15 months previously.

He said: "Fortunately, over the last year and a half, the wider public have had their say to make sure that what comes before you is approvable.

"This is a highly sustainable site with clear walking and cycling routes to connect the community to the wider area."

Planning documents say the capacity issues with the sewage network "is not envisaged" to be a "barrier to the development commencing, or occupations occurring beyond the current capacity of 250 units, however, until such time as the design work is completed".

The reserved matters application adds more details to the outline application approved last year.

The first phase of development will mainly be homes, as well as some green spaces, a kickabout space and tree planting.

There are further areas that will come forward in future reserved matters applications.

The full development will consist of a local centre, comprising a community facility, a day nursery, and local retail uses A1-5, formal and informal open space, sports provision, a Gypsy and Traveller pitch and pedestrian and cycle links.

You can have your say by going to planning.basingstoke.gov.uk and searching 21/01323/RES.