FOLLOWING the withdrawal of the appeal for controversial plans to build on The Causeway, residents are going into battle to stop building on the site in the future.
Developers Philips Build last week withdrew their appeal, to build 276 houses together with a school and community centre, and now residents of The Causeway who fought the proposals are preparing for the public inquiry into the local plan, when they hope to have Causeway Farm removed as a reserve site.
The residents fear there is a distinct possibility that another application will be made by the developers.
ÒIn the broader picture it must be remembered that the full site owned by the developers is 27 hectares, considerably bigger than the proposed reserve site allocation of 13 hectares,Ó said a statement from the residents this week.
ÒIn their own documents presented as part of the recent application the developers are looking for 500-plus houses at Causeway Farm.Ó
The residents feel their argument will stand up as Hampshire County CouncilÕs housing monitoring report shows that there is a comfortable margin of potential supply of new houses without triggering any reserve sites.
ÒIncreasingly it is being accepted that Hampshire must be looked at overall with regard to the provision of sites on previously developed land, not just small Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty such as Petersfield, where previously developed land will always be difficult to find, further reducing the need for new housing in Petersfield, which is primarily for people commuting to the south or to the north,Ó said residents.
ÒIt is accepted that there is a need for affordable housing but this is an immediate need for local people, where many successful planning applications are not being built for many years as land banks continue to be built up. If Petersfield is serious about the immediate provision of affordable homes it has the option to insist on early construction of affordable homes at Ramshill, and pushing ahead with Barnfield Road, itself owned by Petersfield Town Council.Ó