Residents of Roman Way and Swallowfields are urging Test Valley Borough Council to reject plans for new houses at Shepherds Spring School. The plans, drawn up by Hampshire County Council, are for fifty new homes on the school playing fields with access between the existing school buildings.
A number of residents have submitted written objections highlighting landscaping, noise, loss of a green field site, and poor access and traffic congestion as reasons for refusal. Objections have also been lodged by Andover Town Council, Sport England. As a former member of the borough’s planning control committee I fully understand their concerns and support their objections.
A petition of over 150 names opposing the development has also been delivered to the council. This describes the plan as overdevelopment, which will waste an important local facility. “The new development will generate unacceptable levels of additional traffic which will harm the local environment” they say. “It fails to address important issues such as adequate screening to prevent overlooking, sufficient measures to control noise pollution and most importantly a proper traffic management program.”
Andover Town Councillor Barbara Carpenter, who is leading the no campaign, said “Our most serious concerns are about the extra traffic. This plan will mean an extra 50+ cars entering and leaving the site between school buildings and onto the already busy Smannell Road, close to the existing Newbury Road junction. This is not good for existing or new residents. We hope the council will reject this plan and the developers come up with a more acceptable use for the land.”
Campaigners have been told the matter is likely be decided by the Northern Area Planning Committee in March. They are urging everyone in the area to continue submitting objections up until then. The Planning application number is 11/02729/OUTN and anyone can lodge comments. For further details contact
Barbara Carpenter on 01264 338388, [email protected]
or me on 07793 607190, [email protected]
The picture shows town councillors Barbara Long and Barbara Carpenter delivering letters of objection and the petition to TVBC offices