TOWN councillors have pledged to fight development which threatens the future of Petersfield. Speaking at the annual meeting of the town last Wednesday, the chairman of the town council's planning committee, Paul Molloy, promised: "I would like the town to know that we - the town council - with the support of district planning are fighting every inch of the way to protect the character and integrity of our town." He said that most of the developments which had come forward in Petersfield during the year had had a positive influence on Petersfield. But he added: "This has also been a year in which the local plan has been under increasing pressure of exploitation from developers, and a number of applications have been received which have been - in the view of this committee - contrary to the best interests and future welfare of our town." He said Petersfield Town Council's planning committee was the first line of defence against "unremitting pressure from developers - developers who have no interest whatsoever in the community they have targeted and whose only motive is profit". But Mr Molloy did not put the blame entirely on the shoulders of developers. "It is more the fault of central government, who classify all town centres as brownfield," he said. He said the concept of developing brownfield sites before greenfield was good, and most people supported developing derelict land and redundant buildings before encroaching into the countryside. "But unfortunately, by not defining what brownfield actually means, government has encouraged developers to view any land, and in fact any building, within our town boundaries as fair game for development." The most obvious example of this during the past year, said Mr Molloy, had been the applications to build a block of 11 flats in the grounds of Moreton House in The Spain, the application to knock down The Jolly Sailor pub on The Causeway and replace it with a three- storey block of flats; and most recently, the application which would have resulted in the "wanton destruction of two perfectly sound and substantial family homes in Buckmore Avenue to make way for blocks of flats or multiple houses". Mr Molloy said town councillors considered these applications "quite unsuitable" projects on the proposed sites and their rejection of them had been supported by district planners. He asked for the support of residents' associations in Petersfield to help councillors protect the town "as indeed we were greatly helped by the residents of The Spain and Buckmore Avenue." Mr Molloy warned: "Parliament is looking at what has become a countryside problem, but with a target set in the South East of 28,000 new-build houses per year, it would be näive indeed to rely on any significant help from Westminster." On the positive side, Mr Molloy said, the past year had been very active for development projects which had already met with planning approval. On the Ramshill estate all the Bryant homes were now occupied and Bryant had left the site. Persimmon had now also sold out and its last unit - the marketing suite -would be occupied by the end of the month. Mr Molloy added that the development site on the corner of Herne Road and Moggs Mead was split into two sections - Fitzhamon East on Herne Road and Fitzhamon West on Tor Way. "Both are now completed and are being marketed. Of the 10 units in Fitzhamon East there are two flats left, and of the 13 units in Fitzhamon West there are five left," he said. Further up Moggs Mead, Kebbels had now started clearing the site for 14 mixed homes and apartments, and the first of the two new blocks of flats on the former Weston House site was about to be roofed. He said he was delighted that permission had finally been granted for a 50-bed hotel at Buckmore Farm, complete with a restaurant and pub. "Construction is now well under way and a good quality budget hotel is exactly what this town has needed for many, many years, and when completed it will be a tremendous asset to the town," he said. In addition, Focus DIY had opened on the former coalyard site, and the Reema project to refurbish and redevelop the Drum homes in Highfield Road, Borough Grove and Grange Road began last month.
