FLATS and houses in a landmark building in the final phase of building at Herne Farm have got the go-ahead, but district councillors are worried that if Herne Road is open to through traffic it will become a rat run.
East Hampshire planners have given permission for 19 flats and four houses on the southern side of Moggs Mead between Tor Way and Herne Road.
The application was deferred at the planning meeting of June 5 for negotiations to achieve a reduction in the height of the Herne Road frontage to two storeys, to set it back further from the road and to increase the storage bin facilities.
Planning officer, Jeremy Heppell, told councillors that the latest amendments to the plans provided for the reduction of the Herne Road frontage to two storeys, and the removal of four of the five dormers on the second floor. The middle unit on Herne Road had been pulled back by one metre.
The bin storage had been increased to cater for all the units by turning the proposed cycle store into a bin store. A replacement cycle store had also been provided.
Mr Heppell said that 27 further letters of objection had been received.
Speaking for the residents, Mike Haggerty said that they still felt the whole site was going to be overdeveloped. They were also very concerned about Herne Way, which would become a very busy road with all the cars coming in and out of a restricted area.
Chairman of Petersfield Town Council planning committee, Mary Vincent, said her committee was satisfied with the latest improvements to the plans, but they were concerned about the amount of traffic that would be using Herne Road.
For Kebbell Development, John Bray said they had been working to create a scheme that was acceptable and suitable for a central urban site.
Andrew Pattie (Petersfield St Mary's) said he realised that the local residents were still unhappy about the number of dwellings on the site, but it was now a PPG3 world (central government guidelines on housing numbers per hectare).
"We have to remember that the outline permission was 10 years ago," he said. "But I am very pleased the developer has come a certain way and listened to local concerns, moving back one metre and the removing most of the dormers.
"As far as Herne Road is concerned, it could become a rat run. I recommend we look into bollarding across the centre of the road leaving cycle access only.
"Could we also remind the developer that he has a duty of care toward existing residents. EHDC should look very carefully at the way the community responds."
Councillors had mixed feelings about whether the single dormer should remain in the Herne Road frontage. A vote on the removal of the last dormer was tied so the chairman David Clegg (Rowlands Castle) gave his casting vote for the removal of the last dormer.