A FIGHT to save their village from what they believe will be “unnecessary development” has cost the Greatham Voice group nearly £4,000 so far.

Armed with reports and assessments from their own town planner, Greatham Voice is ready to put its case when the South Downs Local Plan goes before the Government in March.

There will be a public examination in the spring and summer before the Local Plan is due for final adoption in the autumn.

Greatham Voice has 100 members who contributed towards the cost of employing a town planner.

The group will be putting forward its arguments and evidence to try to stop four permanent travellers’ mobile homes being allowed on land at Fern Farm and 38 houses being built on a nursery garden, with an exit to Petersfield Road - both of which are marked for development in the proposed Local Plan.

A Greatham Voice spokesman said: “Greatham Voice is not opposed in principle to development in the parish.

“However, any proposals put forward in the Local Plan for the parish must be based on robust evidence to justify the need for further development while conserving and enhancing the character of the parish and the special qualities of the National Park.

“In summary, we have serious concerns regarding the soundness of a number of strategic policies, their associated evidence base and sustainability appraisal.

“Overall, we aren’t against a certain amount of development, but we feel 38 houses is too many on the one site and that any that are built should be affordable ones and used to infill on land in the village.

“Also, there was no need to have permanent travellers’ homes at Fern Farm as there was already a site was planned at nearby Hawkley.”

Greatham Voice said it had a lot of support for its campaign, with residents giving donations.

Troy Hayes, who heads Troy Planning and Design at Petersfield, has worked with local councils and data from local residents to prepare his report for Greatham Voice which argues against the two developments. A South Downs National Park Authority spokesperson said of the timeline for the plan: “Following the final of three public consultations in the autumn of 2017, the South Downs Local Plan will be submitted to the Government at the end of March 2018 together with a consultation statement with a full summary of the key issues and representation made. The submitted South Downs Local Plan, consultation statement and all representations will then be available for to view online.”

The remaining South Downs Local Plan timeline is:

* Submission to secretary of state in March 2018;

* Public examination in the late spring to summer 2018; and

* Adoption in autumn 2018.