THE Swiss-based firm whose plans to develop a strip of land next to Liphook's Sainsbury's development caused a huge public outcry back in February, have lodged a second planning application this week.

Terranova Developments wanted to build 31 homes on the so-called ghetto strip between the village's railway line and the supermarket's site next to the Beaver's Industrial Estate.

But having withdrawn its original plan back in April after both local residents and the parish council were united in their opposition to it, the architects' second stab – which has just 20 properties instead – has caused further outcry from residents in nearby Quebec Close, Huron Drive and Hudson Drive.

More than a dozen of them lobbied a heated Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council's planning meeting on Monday.

Councillors discussed the proposed 20 new dwellings, including affordable housing, accessed from Canada Way and one business unit accessed from the Beaver Industrial estate, as in the previous application.

The new application proposes eight three-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom dwellings in the cul-de-Sac, as well as three blocks of two and three-storey affordable homes – a total of 46 bedroomss – with 40 car parking spaces.

Access in and out of the development would be via Canada Way on a 5.5-metre wide road, running along the railway line, narrowing down to 4.5 metres with an acoustic fence along the line.

The Geneva-based applicant argues that all aspects of planning have been met and that the proposed housing of cedar timber and red brick is consistent with neighbouring properties, that visibility is adequate and that the proposed development is within settlement boundaries.

Residents argued that due to the increased daily parking overflow from the railway station in Canada Way, along the former OSU site, access to the proposed development via Canada Way would become dangerous and difficult and that the width of the road in the cul-de-sac did not make allowances for any manoeuvring of emergency or refuse and waste management vehicles.

They also raised grave concerns over the density and proposed height of the dwellings, which would block out the light of existing dwellings and directly overlook houses and gardens, thereby causing loss or privacy, as well as unspecified ground levels on the strip of land, which could increase the height of the proposed dwellings even further.

Other concerns were for existing wildlife on the land, safety measures within the cul-de-sac, associated noise levels due to the fact that there were no garages in the plan, nor provision for extra visitors parking.

They also claimed the houses would suffer vibration as well as staining from brake dust, from passing trains.

Councillors unanimously and strongly objected to the proposed three-storey properties on the grounds of loss of light and privacy and unacceptable overdevelopment of a narrow railway siding, and that the design and material was not in keeping with surrounding houses.

They also backed criticism of the narrow access road into and out of the cul-de-sac and agreed that Canada Way would be affected by visitors parking.

They were concerned about the unspecified ground and land levels the proposed houses would be built on, that no wildlife or environmental study had been carried out in this buffer zone, and objected to the increase of traffic incurred by the proposed new industrial unit onto unsighted access into the Midhurst Road.

Chairman Anna James urged all parishioners to put their own objections in writing individually before the consultation period expires on December 4.