CHAWTON residents are preparing to fight a planning decision which they believe has put the future of Hampshire's villages at risk. They are outraged after the passing of a plan which will see "suburban type" development within a village regarded as an historic and literary mecca for Jane Austen devotees around the globe. And they believe that by applying "inappropriate" PPG3 planning density guidelines local planners have set a precedent for the development of rural settlements, regardless of their importance to the overall heritage of the area. A meeting was due to be held on Wednesday to debate how best to challenge the decision by East Hampshire District Council's north planning committee which agreed, on a casting vote, to pass a controversial proposal for the demolition of three properties on the Winchester Road and to be replace them with 15 new dwellings at a density rating of 30 to the hectare. While the properties - Darcy House, Longbourn and Kitts Cottage - are not considered of high architectural value, many residents are opposed to what they view as high density, urban-style redevelopment which will be "wholly out of keeping" with the character of the village conservation area. They are concerned too over the siting of the development on a sharp right-angled bend, on the T-junction linking Winchester Road with Woolfe Lane. But on Thursday last week district councillors faced a tough decision with half, like the residents, wanting to turn the application down and fight it on principle at appeal and the rest believing that, bound by planning rules, the proposal was "as good as it was going to get", and that to force an appeal could mean the loss of any real negotiating power. For committee chairman Patrick Burridge, it was a particularly difficult application. As representative for Chawton he was torn between local opposition and planning policy which, according to officers, accepted the principle of redevelopment at a density of at least 30 to the hectare. He told colleagues: "To build 15 new houses in beautiful and historic Chawton is an awesome responsibility to tinker with." But, he pointed out, having met with the parish council, with residents, with the developers and with planning officers the applicant had withdrawn an original application for 25 dwellings for a compromise of 15 and had adapted the layout and design to meet their concerns. "I dislike it with every sense in my body - to build 12 extra houses in Chawton is horrible" but in his opinion, the only way forward was to take a subjective view. The biggest concern, said Mr Burridge, was the impact on the highway network. As the highways authority, Hampshire County Council was looking at the implementation of safety conditions and any permission would be subject to meeting those requirements but, in his opinion, it was not a reason for deferral. In complimenting Patrick Burridge on delivering "one of the most courageous speeches heard in this chamber", Tony Ludlow (Alton Amery) said he was however "extremely concerned" over the impact of access onto the bend. He also felt that PPG3 was designed as a policy for urban areas and should not be applied to a village conservation area. Geoffrey Whittle (Headley) was similarly opposed to the use of PPG3 in a conservation area. He told colleagues: "I understand how the (planning) officers have to work but we as councillors need to stand up to PPG3. This should be handled by an appeal inspector. " Rather than being afraid of incurring financial loss at a planning inquiry Sqn Ldr Whittle urged his colleagues to "stand up and fight for what you believe in". By way of contrast, having been told that the head teacher of Chawton School had welcomed the application as bringing new vitality to the village, and being assured by Patrick Burridge that sites were being looked at for affordable development, other councillors considered the new development could be "a plus for the village". The application had attracted some 58 letters of objection, including Chawton Parish Council, citing concerns in the main over density, traffic and access issues, design and impact on neighbours. These views were reiterated during the public-speaking part of the meeting. There were 12 letters of support which welcomed the opening up of the village to more people which would encourage prosperity. In his address the applicant's agent said he had been in negotiation with council officers for the past two years and had sought to address concerns over density, design, impact on trees, landscaping and the integrity of the street scene. A highways safety audit had been carried out which had been signed off by the county council, he said. In the event the vote was eight for and eight against officer recommendation for permission, with a casting vote by the chairman tipping the balance in favour of the applicant. Conservation area consent was granted at that same meeting for the demolition of Darcy House, Longbourn and Kitts Cottage at Winchester Road, Chawton.
