A DEVELOPMENT Control Committee of Basingstoke and Deane Council will meet next week to take a decision on the amended application of proposed ‘giant distribution site’ at junction 7 of the M3.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 18.

Newlands Developments has confirmed the new key occupier of the warehouse would be Lidl instead of Amazon.

The application for Amazon warehouse was previously refused.

The new application is for the demolition of three dwellings, outbuildings and related structures and proposed construction of commercial and industrial units with ancillary offices at Oakdown Farm in Winchester Road, Dummer, Basingstoke.

The application has so far received 167 written objections registered from the general public – all against the proposal.

Newslands’ original plan was to build four new warehouses the size of 38 football pitches as part of a new distribution centre on the site close to Junction 7, which would involve building a new roundabout on the A30.

Called Basingstoke Gateway M3-J7, a planning application was submitted before the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in 2020.

However, this was rejected by the council after severe objections from neighbours and protests by campaigners to stop the destruction of 67 oak and three mature beech trees.

A petition to save the Oakdown Farm trees had gained more than 100,000 signatures.

To see the amended planning application, search in the planning portal of Basingstoke and Deane council with reference number 22/00667/FUL or click here.

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