BORDON is gearing up for yet another fight against a potential new housing development.

District planners and local councillors are hoping to be able to persuade an independent planning inspector that they were right in their opposition to a small housing development of around 30 homes on land at High View and adjacent to Devon Road.

On Tuesday at an appeal hearing the inspector will hear arguments for and against the proposals, which are opposed by a large number of residents.

Premier Properties Limited and Flavia Estates Limited are hoping to secure outline permission to develop the land with housing.

But both the town and the district council hope that the land, which lies next to the Tesco site, will play a key role in BordonÕs economic redevelopment.

Both hope that the opening of the supermarket this summer will act as a catalyst and attract other shops and businesses to the area, with the 0.58 hectares at Highview and Devon being available to them, paving the way for a regeneration of the High Street and Chalet Hill area.

Adopted policies are on their side as the existing local plan, the development blueprint for the district, allocates the site for shops, financial and professional services, food and drink outlets and offices.

Future policies also back the two councils, with the land being incorporated into the proposed new town centre for Bordon in the revised edition of the local plan.

Although the updated version of the local plan has still not been adopted it is given more weight the closer to adoption it becomes.

The district councilÕs report on the application states: ÒIt is recognised that Whitehill/Bordon lacks the facilities, such as retail, commercial leisure and entertainment uses, that are normally associated with a town of this size and in comparison to the other larger centres in the district at Alton and Petersfield.

ÒThis site is one of the most important sites allocated in order to achieve the aim of providing more of those facilities.

ÒIt is also allocated for redevelopment so as to improve the environment of the area and to provide improved access.

ÒThe improvements to the environment and access have already commenced with the permission for the Tesco foodstore to the south of the application site. This will also provide a welcome boost to the development economics of this area by making the area more attractive to development.Ó

The report goes on to say that building houses on the key site will bring little benefit to residents of Bordon and Whitehill and that it is necessary to safeguard the site for potential commercial investors which both councils are confident will come.

ÒThe development of this site for housing would also restrict the development potential of the remainder of this area by reducing the scope and scale of development that could be accommodated,Ó the report said.

ÒIt would also restrict the type of uses which could be accommodated on the remainder of the site in that there may well be conflict between the adverse impact on the amenity of the housing area and any proposed use.Ó

Councillors and officers are also unhappy that the proposed access to the homes would be from Devon Road via Forest Road with traffic calming proposed for Forest Road.

Both the parking and highways manager and the county surveyor have criticised the access plans and believe that instead of access being through a Òsubstandard junctionÓ, it should be through the Tesco site.

Whitehill Town Council and East Hampshire District Council were supported in their objections by a significant number of local residents.

At the time the application ten letters of objection and a petition signed by 124 people were sent to EHDC.

The developersÕ argument centres on the fact that the site has been allocated for commercial use for more than a decade without any interest coming from the commercial market.

They say that instead of allowing the site to become stale it should be used for homes to meet local needs for low-cost and affordable homes.

The appeal hearing, which is open to members of the public, will get under way at the Kingsley Centre on Tuesday at 10 am.