PLANS for a new village between Odiham and Crondall are currently in the consultation stage.

Developers Bell Cornwell this week announced their plans for a new village south of the A287 on Rye Common, which would be home to between 1,600 and 1,900 new homes, along with new facilities and infrastructure.

The plans have been outlined to Hart District Council for consideration within the emerging Local Plan process.

The developers say that feedback throughout the process to date has established a preference for a new settlement to be considered, in order to assist in meeting the emerging housing need.

The news for the 1,500 home ‘Rye Common New Village’, comes after Hart announced a massive reduction in the number of new homes to be built across the district over the next 16 years, with the district council announcing there is now a need for 1,500 less homes than initially planned.

While this have may no direct affect on the recently released plans, the reduced need for housing in the area may lead to increased protest against the ‘village’.

The plans submitted by Bell Cornwell state: “The proposal for a new village at Rye Common is for a high- quality, well contained village within a relatively unconstrained part of the district.

“A single land ownership results in a limited land-take being required in order to deliver a sustainable level of housing (c. 1500 dwellings), reducing the impact of this new settlement proposal on Hart’s landscape.”

Yet, despite the possibility of increased criticism, their report points towards how 59 per cent of respondents to the recent Local Plan Refined Housing Options consultation were in support of a new settlement at Winchfield as their first preference of three strategic approaches to delivering Hart’s housing needs.

Adding: “To the contrary, 35 per cent of respondents ranked this option as their least preferred approach. The provision of a sustainable and deliverable opportunity at Rye Common as an alternative option to Winchfield is likely to have a significant impact not only with regard to the results currently in favour of Winchfield, but the consultation statistics as a whole.”

Some of the early fears voiced by residents on social media, as they had with Winchfield, point towards the increased traffic flow that over 1,000 new homes would bring to the area, with the A287 and roads surrounding Odiham and Crondall already busy at the best of times.

However, the plans which are currently being looked over by Hart say that traffic would not be an issue and propose a roundabouts at junctions on the A287 be put in place.

The best option developers believe would be a “three-arm roundabout location on the small section of dual carriageway to the east of the site”.

They also highlight how this could increase safety at the Chalky Lane junction, adding that a larger one-off development would ease the strain on surrounding villages.

“The availability of over 140 hectares of land at Rye Common put forward as a SHLAA site in January 2016, is sufficient to deliver a new settlement within the southern portion of the district, reducing pressure on all Hart’s settlements.

“In particular, it will also reduce growing expectations on settlements within the south west corner of the District, (such as) Odiham, North Warnborough, the western edge of Hook, South Warnborough and Long Sutton, which fall outside of the 5km SPA buffer zone.”

Many social media comments were also wary of the possible impact on schools, doctors surgeries, dentists and other essential local amenities. However, the plans state that there would be room for all of these in a potential new village which would be modelled on current Hart villages such as Odiham and Hook.

“Set in a high quality built environment the village centre could deliver a: range of retail provision which includes a convenience food retail store and some additional smaller units which can support local businesses in an appropriate mix of uses, a doctor’s surgery, a village hall (suitable for also incorporating a village nursery), small scale employment opportunities in the form of small offices ensuring a variety of uses within the village High Street, a range of sports and recreational facilities in the form of playing pitches and courts and children’s play facilities, a primary school and a village public house.”

If the plans were to go through, it would result in a huge loss of green space for Hart, and it is once again a grey area of the plans that those against the proposal have picked up on.

Bell Cornwell has however said that it would come with environmental benefits. “The proposal also responds effectively to the Saved South East Plan Policy NRM6 and the need for Hart to prioritise residential development outside the 5km zone of influence of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.

“Connectivity to the countryside will flow through the village envelope, ensuring that the rural environment continues to be the dominating feature at Rye Common.”

More about the new plans can be found online from the website www.bell-cornwell.co.uk/news/rye-common-new-village-proposal.