VILLAGERS are anxious objections to a 42-bed retirement home planned in Grayshott’s settlement gap will be disregarded by the council.

East Hampshire District Council planning committee is due to consider an application for the home to be built on a green field site, land west of Ludshott end, Headley Road, Grayshott, but an amended plan submitted earlier this month by the developers gave people just 14 days to respond.

The landowners originally submitted a plan for a 64-bed care home on the land in July after a public exhibition in the village hall in March.

The amended plans show a 42-bed “extra care” facility, although no changes to the external appearance are proposed.

Villager Hugh Shearer, whose home is on a strip of land next to the site, received a letter from EHDC notifying him of a “pre-decision amendment” to the plan on October 9.

The letter said comments should be received no later than last Wednesday.

He said: “This is an inadequate window of just 12 days in which to comment.

“It assumes everybody is at home, and can respond instantly, or more to the point, is it deliberately truncated to eliminate the number of comments? Although it is known many objectors received the letter, I know of one specific case where the letter was not received. So how many other objectors were not notified?”

Mr Shearer said the letter did not mention that objections lodged previously may no longer be considered, and it was necessary for residents to object again.

He added: “This means with any planning application, if after the initial flush of objections has been published, an amendment is submitted, the initial objections are no longer valid and will be written off.

“This does not appear to be a democratic way for EHDC to conduct affairs.”

An EHDC spokesman said a planning officer had spoken to Mr Shearer since he had received the letter, saying his original comments would be included in the officer’s report to the planning committee, but he should write in to confirm the revisions did not overcome his concerns and is maintaining his objection.

“In addition, other interested parties who have previously commented on the application should reconfirm their comments,” said the spokesman.

More than 40 objections were originally registered against the application, including from the village GP surgery which and the parish council.