PLANNERS at East Hampshire District Council have decided to visit a Petersfield housing site before they discuss plans to build 23 homes on it.

At a meeting of the South Planning Committee on Tuesday evening members looked at plans from Kebbell Homes for the third and final phase of building at Herne Farm, which has stretched over three decades covering land between Pulens Lane and Tor Way.

The final phase of the development consists of 19 flats and four houses with access and open space on the southern side of Moggs Mead between Tor Way and Herne Road.

On the southern side the site is bounded by the Tilmore Stream, which has been causing concern for residents of Herne Farm since its banks collapsed after heavy rain nearly three years ago.

The collapse was found to be responsible for subsidence under the changing rooms at the open air swimming pool.

Repair work was carried out earlier this year after East Hampshire District Council admitted it was the owner of the bank. But further repair work is still be be carried out on other parts of the bank owned by EDHC and some home-owners.

The site also contains several trees which carry Preservation Orders and a large hazel hedge.

Planning officers have recommended that the plan should be given the go ahead but 46 letters of objection have been received by East Hampshire District Council.

Chairman of Petersfield Town Council's planning committee, George Watkinson, said councillors still objected to the plans because they felt the overshadowing of existing homes was excessive.

"Our other major concern is the surface water. The soakaways will not be adequate and there is a possibility that there will be further damage to the banks of the brook.

Speaking on behalf of the Herne Road Residents Association, Hilary Little told members of the planning committee on Tuesday that they believed the plan would be detrimental to neighbours and the general safety of the public.

"Our reasons for objecting are many and varied, raised by people as young as 15 and as old as 96 years. Such is the strength of feeling that all but one of the objection letters were written in three days."

She said that 19 flats and four houses would be an over-intensive use of the site and the design of the building on the Tor Way and Moggs Mead junction would stand out as the design did not feature anywhere on the Herne Farm Estate.

"No other buildings on the Herne Farm Estate are three storeys high and therefore could be considered as out of keeping with the surrounding area and a three-storey building is likely to overshadow existing properties in Herne Road," Mrs Little told the meeting.

She added that there was concern over the increase in traffic, which would create a hazard for pedestrians and cyclists using the new footpath and cycleway.

But Martin Hawthorne of Hawthorne Kamm Planning, who appeared for Kebbell Homes, said EHDC's emerging local plan re-identified the site for housing and said that any new schemes should come forward at a higher density.

Mr Hawthorne said after talks with EHDC planning officers it was clear that a landmark building should be retained on the western half of the site and that the "eastern portion of the site could best be developed by 'perimeter-style housing' reminiscent of a traditional Petersfield street scene."

He said the current scheme was no different in relation to the brook than the existing planning permission granted in l999. "There is no objection from the Environment Agency and all the concerns can appropriately be dealt with by condition, as recommended by the EA,"said Mr Hawthorne

He said the density of the development was 40 homes to the hectare, "which

is right in the middle of the Government's recommended 30 to 50 to the hectare

guidance."