A CONTROVERSIAL planning application to build four homes on a known badgers sett in Headley could go ahead, despite receiving 39 letters of objection. The application will now be dealt with under delegated powers rather than at a committee meeting, meaning that members of the public will not have a chance to debate the plans. East Hampshire district councillors for Headley, Anthony Williams and Richard Millard, have seen amended plans for the application and are satisfied that the plans have now answered all points raised by objectors. Now, as the ward councillors were happy that the objections had been resolved, the application has been passed to planning officers to decide. Mr Williams said: "I have been in planning for 30 years and don't take decisions like this lightly. If the objections raised had not been addressed, the matter would have gone to committee. I often want things to go to committee, but having gone through the list and seeing that all the points had been answered, it is clear that the objections have been resolved." As a protected species, the presence of badgers on the site has been a fundamental issue to residents and has attracted a lot of controversy. Mr Williams said: "Concerns regarding the welfare of the badgers were by far the most common of the objections. Natural England have been consulted and have indicated that they are prepared to grant a license for the badgers to be moved to rough woodland at the back of the site. "An artificial sett will be built there, and until Natural England are satisfied that the sett has been accepted by the badgers, the planning application cannot be implemented. The power is with Natural England, and they must be satisfied." Other issues involved access to the Badgerswood surgery, which is adjacent to the site. However, it has been argued that the new plans are set to improve visibility for those using the surgery as the yellow flowers that currently block the view of motorists will be removed. "As it stands, the gorse flowers destroys all visibility. It will benefit everyone entering or leaving surgery to have this removed. "As every one of the issues raised has been addressed, this application could be good for village," added Mr Williams. The new reports and amended application are not currently available for the public to see, but it is hoped the plans will be put onto the EHDC website. Mr Williams said: "It's more than desirous that the amended plans be in the public domain and I have made enquiries into this. Hopefully, residents will soon be able to see chapter and verse of what is going on." To view the status of the planning application visit http://www.easthants.gov.uk">www.easthants.gov.uk. The reference number is 31418/011.
