PEOPLE in Liss have voiced concerns over news of a land sale and the ramifications on village life. East Hampshire District Council plans to sell up to £2m of its land across the district, including plots in Liss. At a Liss Parish Council meeting on Monday, Cardew Road woman Margaret Hewitt led the call for the council to protect some of the proposed land up for sale. An area of the Inwood Estate was of particular concern – a small plot of land at Dennis Way with a sunken lane to the rear that serves as a play area for children, a home for animals, and a popular haunt for walkers. Mrs Hewitt told councillors that with 266 housing units on the estate this piece of land was one of the few "breathing spaces". Of the sunken lane known by locals as 'Pig's Lane', Mrs Hewitt said: "This is one of the last natural unspoiled sunken lanes in the district, if not the last. It is popular with walkers and was voted the second most valued Liss asset at the Village Design Group open day 18 months ago, behind Riverside Walk. "There is a well-established badger sett under the trees, running beneath the lane to Clank's Farm. Both setts are still in use. "The old Butser field on the far side of the lane, once open to the public, has now been sold and fenced off, leaving only this piece of land for youngsters to use, and they do use it – for cricket, football and general play." Former councillor Mrs Hewitt reminded the parish that several years ago the land was offered to them by EHDC, but they turned down the "gift" as they did not have the money to maintain the land. She asked the parish chairman if the council could now review that decision and offer to buy the land "for a nominal sum". "These spaces must be protected," said Mrs Hewitt. "I am sure no one wishes to see a ghetto in Liss, and it will be a ghetto." Mrs Hewitt also questioned whether it was in fact even legal for further development to take place on the already crowded estate, which has only one access road, off Rake Road. Mrs Hewitt also pointed out that a dog mess bin on the site had not been cleared for more than six weeks. "EHDC seem to have little regard for us. They don't even bother to empty our doggie bins properly," she said. The district council's intention to sell various sites of land comes under the Local Government Act 1976, to get rid of land that was deemed surplus to requirements. Another plot of 0.24 acres of land adjacent to Pinecroft was also part of EHDC's plan to sell. It was thought by councillors that no more than five properties could be built on the two plots if the land was sold to developers. Mrs Cartwright added that she thought it would be "out of the question" that a new access road could be demanded for the addition of two new houses, although she stressed it would be "extremely important" to maintain the access to Pig's Lane. Mrs Cartwright added that any possible development would have to go through the planning process. Margaret Effenberg, of Liss Design Group, warned: "When you sell a piece of land it is gone forever. I urge you all to think twice about giving up any land in Liss as we have not got that much land anyway."
