A DECSION is set to be made tomorrow after 100,000 people asked the council to stop the destruction of 70 mature trees by blocking plans for an Amazon warehouse.

The development control committee of the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) is set to reconsider the full planning application for the Oakdown Farm warehouse tomorrow Wednesday, October 27.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the council officers on Thursday, October 14 ahead of the full council meeting. Among them were Amazon warehouse protesters.

Christine Northam presented her petition to stop the destruction of 67 oak trees, which would be destroyed should an Amazon warehouse be built near Junction 7.

She said: "We are thrilled. We have got 102,464 signatures worldwide, they have come from 107 countries but 4,000 of them are from the borough of Basingstoke.”

Christine told councillors that she was "here on behalf of 102,000 people", with 4,000 of those from the borough.

She said: “These 4,000 people are not just petitioners, they are voters. They all strongly feel these mature oak trees should not be chopped down.

“They were planted long before the M3 was built, and we were born."

Oak trees are estimated to be home to 2,300 species of wildlife and also act as lungs to counteract the CO2 pollution on the M3, A30 and all the new housing in the area.

As previously reported by the Gazette councillors approved plans to build a warehouse, thought to be occupied by Amazon in the future, near Junction 7 of the M3, but refused outline plans for the wider development including three further units.

But Dummer Parish Council wrote to the borough council back in April challenging the legality of the decision, based on what it considers to be an error in the information given to the committee about how visible the development would be from the village.

The application is being recommended for approval by council officers, the same recommendation they gave to councillors six months ago.

The following councillors are due to appear on the committee:

  • Cllr Nick Robinson (CON, chairman)
  • Cllr Paul Harvey (BDI, vice chair)
  • Cllr Richard Court (CON)
  • Cllr Angie Freeman (LAB)
  • Cllr Stuart Frost (CON)
  • Cllr Jay Ganesh (CON)
  • Cllr Paul Gaskell (CON)
  • Cllr Sven Godesen (CON)
  • Cllr Michael Howard-Sorrell (LAB)
  • Cllr Ron Hussey (LDM)
  • Cllr David Leeks (CON)
  • Cllr Chris Tomblin (BDI)