NEIGHBOURS fighting plans to build new homes for the homeless in Petersfield were horrified this week when planners came out in favour of the scheme.

Officers will now be recommending that members of East Hampshire District CouncilÕs South Planning Committee to give the plan the green light when they meet on Thursday, March 6.

But today (Friday) neighbours are set to turn out in force when councillors meet to examine the site on land at 7a Woolner Avenue.

They will also be packing the Penns Place council chamber on Thursday to hear what councillors decide when they debate Drum HousingÕs plan to build five self-contained, one-bedroom flats and six shared-facility bedsits.

Many residents have banded together to pay for a planning expert who will be putting their case at next weekÕs meeting.

John Fletcher of North Road told The Herald: ÒI canÕt believe planning officers are recommending permission. There is so much anger and anxiety about this and the way Drum has gone about it and this recommendation will only heighten it all.Ó

ÒThe whole thing is disgusting,Ó he added, Òthere are so many implications that go along with it. Drum tried to push this through before Christmas knowing it was a contentious issue and hoping no one would notice Ð well hard luck Ð we have noticed.Ó

Mr Fletcher added: ÒDrum keep blowing their own trumpet saying they are so good at managing these properties and we have so many accounts claiming they are not and now they are trying to dump these in an established community.Ó

ÒI find it absolutely incredible that Drum housing, in conjunction with East Hampshire District Council, can spend a large sum of public money to accommodate 11 people and upset 111 people.Ó

He said he was also concerned about the traffic issue, warning that it would mean more cars in an already congested area.

Mrs Agi Smith also of North Road was also angry that planners were recommending the go-ahead for the plan.

ÒI am anti this scheme as it stands because it is sited far

too close to the neighbouring houses.Ó

ÒThis is intended for young people who want to make a noise Ð and I am not against young people making noise Ð but this is going to be in the very heart of our community. To have a building with such high noise activity close to our back gardens is so unfair.Ó

She said she was not against the idea of homeless accommodation being built in the community, but she was against

the way this plan had been drawn up. ÒWhat this means is that my back garden is

being changed into someone elseÕs front entrance Ð it simply is not fair.Ó

Mrs Smith said she was

also disgusted at DrumÕs claim to have taken residentsÕ

homes into consideration when drawing up their plans.

And in Woolner Avenue Joy Marshall voiced her concerns about the officersÕ recommendation to allow the plan.

ÒWe have already had one of these homes in Sandringham Road with all its noise and trouble, and it now seems they have sold that one to build this and all the trouble will start again.Ó

She claimed there was no enough room on the site to accommodate DrumÕs plans and added: ÒWe think they should put a couple of bungalows for elderly people there, it would make much more sense.Ó

At their last planning meeting members of Petersfield Town CouncilÕs Planning committee said they still objected to the amended plan from Drum on the grounds that it was too big for the site and would overlook many of the existing properties.

Residents had packed the town council chamber in January to hear the discussions on the original plans, when councillor Ken Hick described the proposals as Òa ghettoÓ.

Councillor Chris Jenner was still concerned that the bedsit-type accommodation could lead to problems.

In a report to members of the South Planning Committee next week, planning officer Jeremy Heppell told members that 39 letters of objection

had been received to the originally submitted scheme

and 22 objectors reiterated their concerns about the amended plans.

ÒIn addition a planning consultant has lodged an objection on behalf of 13 local residents,Ó said Mr Heppell.