A DEVELOPERÕS plans to set up 17 homes in Selborne has been branded ÒoutrageousÓ by a concerned villager.

Minette Palmer, a former parish and district councillor for Selborne, has spoken out after TUCO submitted proposals to East Hampshire planners to convert offices at Sotherington Hopkiln into homes.

Last week, Mrs Palmer, of Burhunt Farm, pleaded with Selborne Parish Council to put in a ÒrobustÓ objection to the district council.

ÒResidential use will be the answer here,Ó she said. ÒBut this is an outrageous application. 17 dwellings with 35 double bedrooms and three singles - most with en-suite bathrooms - means that a residential population of between 35 and 73 people would be plonked onto a one acre island site in a relatively remote part of a protected landscape.

ÒAbsolutely no amenity space or garden whatsoever is proposed; instead we have 35 car parking spaces, some double-banked, and no garaging.

ÒMost importantly, the application is contrary to planning policy and unsustainable - the site is a long way from a settlement policy boundary and from public transport, jobs, shops and services. It is over-development in the countryside. It doesnÕt meet any identified local housing need. There is no overriding justification for it that outweighs the AONB designation.

ÒFurthermore, permission would prejudice and undermine the South Downs National Park Designation Order - a significant material consideration.Ó

Mrs Palmer added: ÒMaybe this proposal has been designed to soften up the planners in preparation for a lesser, but still outrageous, application - in the hope they might accept that one - although something even quarter this size would still be harmful development in the countryside.

ÒSo IÕm here to ask you to put in a robust objection to the district council and to offer them constructive comments towards a solution that would respect and enhance the area.Ó

Mrs Palmer suggested that an acceptable proposal would be to convert the hop kiln into three homes - not 17.

ÒThe hop kiln itself was considerably enlarged during the 199Os. The middle roof gable was raised to match the height of the gables on either side and two substantial new barns were put up,Ó she continued.

ÒBetween them, these buildings invite a sympathetic conversion: of the hop kiln building to three houses, corresponding to the three gables, and of the barns to garages ...and the car park area could be dug up and sensitively landscaped as amenity space or garden for the residents.

ÒThat would be a sustainable proposal. It would not overdevelop the site or introduce much new traffic into the sunken lane. It would respect the rural location and it would not conflict with the statutory protection afforded to designated landscapes.Ó

Mrs Palmer concluded: ÒThis application is strictly out of order. It simply tries to build on an office use that never materialised for the simple reason that that, too, was unsustainable and unmarketable.Ó

Chairman Bill Oliver told the meeting that the parish council had held a special meeting to discuss the plans in depth and had decided to object to the proposals on three major grounds.

ÒThe council has no objection to the conversion of the kiln site into dwellings but thought that there were three major objections to the plan.

ÒOverdevelopment - the density would equate to more than 40 dwellings per hectare which would be completely out of keeping. The proposal is sited outside the settlement policy boundary. This is very important as far as Selborne is concerned.

ÒThe other was our understanding is that if there is five or more dwellings in an area like this, there should be some affordable housing. There is no sign of affordable housing in this plan.Ó

Mr Oliver added that the council intended to ask for the plan to go to the district councilÕs north planning committee and not be decided by an officer, under delegated powers.

ÒThis is one we felt was far too important to be delegated to an officer,Ó he said.