THE controversial application to build four two storey buildings with new access at The Queens public house on Petersfield Road, Greatham, was due to be decided last night (Thursday), by members of East Hampshire District Council's south planning committee. The developer, Camparo Limited, was granted permission to build the four homes in the car park of what was The Queens (now the Greatham Inn), two years ago, after a public inquiry. In September 2004, attention was drawn to an issue over the size of the respective sites of the Greatham Inn and the adjacent development site for four dwellings. The issue over the size of the development site has arisen from discrepancies between the 1:2,500 scale site plan and the 1:500 scale proposed layout plan and discussions between the public house owner and the vendor. The 1:2,500 scale plan showed the width of the car park retained for the public house to be 15 metres, whereas the 1:500 scale layout plan showed 12 metres. The public house owner's discussions with the vendor had established the distance as being 15 metres and the new car park was laid out to that dimension. Following discussions with both parties, an amended plan was submitted with the request that it be dealt with as a minor amendment to the approved scheme. The proposed amendment would take part of the development outside the settlement policy boundary. The amended plans were discussed at the south planning committee in February and it was resolved that the site could not be dealt with as a minor amendment. The south planning committee was also advised that a new planning application had been received but not registered. Members were asked to indicate what resolution would be appropriate for this application. They resolved to grant permission under delegated permission subject to consultation and publicity. Greatham residents and members of the parish council were fiercely opposed to the idea of the decision being made under delegated powers. Since then, 66 letters of objection have been sent to EHDC - which is why the application is going before committee for a decision. Citing their reasons for objecting the application, Greatham Parish Council said: "To extend the site over the settlement policy boundary by four metres will set a dangerous precedent for Greatham and other villages within East Hampshire. "The full plans detailing how the adjacent shrub bank will be dealt with, in terms of retaining walls, drainage, profiling and landscaping, and which trees will be removed, have not been supplied, and without these, it is impossible to fully consider the visual impact of the proposal on the neighbouring land. "In the absence of plans to the contrary, Greatham Parish Council considers that the impact of the development on the neighbouring countryside will be significantly more than four metres over the settlement policy boundary. It concluded: "The report considering the road safety implications of the new access, nearer to the brow of the hill, has not been supplied to Greatham Parish Council. The new access point is almost directly opposite a bus stop and closer to the brow of the hill on an already dangerous stretch of road, at the point where pedestrians are forced to cross the road. "In the absence of a report to the contrary, Greatham Parish Council considers that the access onto the main road will compromise the safety of pedestrians and road users." The application comes under section one on the agenda, which means a representative on behalf of the parish council, the developer and the objectors each have the right to speak for up to three minutes. The case officer has recommended that permission be granted subject to the receipt and consideration of a tree and site survey and the further comments of the principal landscape officer.
