A PUBLIC consultation on Bordon’s latest housing proposals was well attended by residents and business owners.

Described as “a small development”, the plan is to build 135 new homes in Station Road.

The consultation, hosted by developer ZeroC, which has a head office in Poundbury, Dorchester, aimed to involve and engage the local community; present the draft housing proposals, and give people the opportunity to provide feedback.

Attendees viewed display boards which showcased: the masterplan; a 3D site layout; indicative house types and elevations; street-scene elevations and proposals for a woodland play area.

“Feedback received so far has generally been positive and supportive of the plans, with people noting the different look and feel of this small development, compared to other new homes in the area,” said Shaun O’Donovan, ZeroC project leader for the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration.

This latest batch of houses follows in the footsteps of Quebec Park (100 homes), Louisburg (500 homes) and Duke’s Quarter (172 homes), and takes another step towards the 3,350 new homes planned between now and 2030.

The 135 new houses will each have three to five bedrooms and construction will begin in April next year.

They should be complete in 2020, assuming all goes according to plan.

The development will be situated at the Havannah Officers Mess, which will be demolished.

Although he had hoped the officers’ mess could be converted into a hotel, county councillor Adam Carew said he appreciated this would be a challenge.

He welcomed the project, having long advocated the need for larger family homes to create a “more sustainable and demographically balanced community”.