A PLANNING appeal has been made by developers hoping to overturn East Hampshire District Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for 80 homes at Applegarth Farm, in Grayshott.

A government planning inspector has decided the planning appeal will be a public inquiry held over three days as the matter of housing land supply is likely to be an issue.

Outline plans for 80 new homes, including 32 affordable houses at Applegarth Vale were refused by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) in June.

But EHDC gave the green light to a £3.5m business scheme to expand Applegarth Farm next door, which would be funded by the housing plan.

In June, the planning committee agreed there was a definite need for affordable homes, but supported officers’ recommendation to object because it was a greenfield site outside the settlement policy boundary, which would extend the village into the greenfield and reduce the “local gap” between Grayshott and Headley Down.

Officers said the application did not demonstrate a “genuine and proven need” to build 80 homes in the countryside and it was surplus to housing requirements, as EHDC already had a satisfactory five-year supply of land. But launching the appeal, Welbeck Strategic Land (WSL) said its main areas of dispute with EHDC planners were:–

• Planning policy covering housing strategy, countryside and the local gap

• Justification for the development including its relationship with the permission for Applegarth Farm and

• Infrastructure and developer contributions.

WSL said the case is to be put that the justification for the housing development is “it facilitates” the redevelopment of the Applegarth Farm site for employment and service development.

“Without the capital receipt from the proposed housing development that very worthwhile related proposal cannot proceed.”

A revised plan was also submitted for the development with 34 affordable houses in August and remains to be considered.