PLANS for 42 four and five-bedroom houses in Hogmoor Road have been backed by the town council, which encourages larger homes being built. Whitehill Town Council was this week asked to comment on the scheme, for eight four-bed and 34 five-bed homes on the 3.5 hectare Moorlands site, after more than a year of talks with developer Kebbell Homes. Council clerk Trish Bell told members the proposal, which has now been submitted to district council planners, is similar to one they were shown last summer, although the number of homes had gone from 40 to 42. But the developer has kept an agreement for part of the former sandpit site – land around a remaining large pit on the south side of the site – to remain as a nature reserve for local protected species. It has also left room in the designs for a bus stop and turning circle after discussions with the district council over the possibility of re- routing a service to run through the new estate. Existing residents in Hogmoor Road may also benefit from the project if the developer is asked to contribute to improvement schemes in Hogmoor Road. Lending his support to the plan, councillor Mike Scott said: "All the things we have said were important they have done." A government planning inspector recommended the site for development during an inquiry in 2003, in accordance with national guidelines promoting the "efficient use of brownfield [previously developed] sites". The area was also listed as suitable for development in the East Hampshire District local plan, a set of guidelines based on the finding of this inquiry. In a development brief for the Moorlands site, Kebbell Homes said it has designed the estate according to the wishes of the local plan and the town council regarding appearance, density and communal space. Both stressed the site had to be pedestrian- friendly, leading to the provision of a circular dog-walking and cycling route around it as well as street lighting within the site and on the stretch of Hogmoor Road outside. The town council has also got its wish to have the estate deliberately built next to the road to create an "attractive street scene", with individual houses sporting large gardens. Councillor Chris Wain said that there should be a "more substantial barrier" separating the western side of the estate from Slab Common than the proposed hedging, to stop future residents dumping waste onto the common. Another concern raised was the fact that, due to the timing of the project, it did not feature any affordable housing which is now required in large schemes, prompting Adam Carew to call this "the last development of its kind". But councillor Don Mayes said it was up to the district council at a later date to decide whether to apply this regulation. Suggestions were made for schemes to improve the nearby area, which the developer of the Moorland site could be asked to contribute to. These included work to improve the drainage and reduce the speed limit on Hogmoor Road, provide a footpath beyond the tank crossing and build a play area for residents' children, as the nearest would be in Firgrove Road. These suggestions will be passed on to the district council, which will now study the proposals before making a decision on the application.
