Update for residents on proposed housing developments. June 2022 - Part 1

Kingsclere Parish Council (KPC) want to keep residents informed about any major planning development activity that will affect the community.

There are currently two companies proposing major housing developments around the village, at Porch Farm (Vistry Group) and Yew Tree Farm (Thakeham Group). There is also a planning application currently under consideration for a high-end palliative care home near Fawconer Road. Kingsclere Parish Council (KPC) is against all these opportunistic proposals for several reasons.

Kingsclere is a desirable place to live and so it is attractive to developers. Unfortunately, most large developers want to build larger family homes on a large scale to maximise their profits. KPC does not believe this is the right approach or in the best interests of the village.

However, there is a problem. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (B&DBC) has not yet met the Government’s requirement for a ‘5-year housing land supply’ for the borough. Because of this, under the regulations, developers can submit planning applications if they can satisfy the principle of ‘sustainable’ development, regardless of the borough Local Plan or our Neighbourhood Plan. KPC is urging B&DBC to quickly remedy this situation, but the process has been dragging on without a satisfactory response.

Porch Farm and Yew Tree Farm

Currently, Kingsclere Parish has about 1,400 dwellings. The Porch Farm proposed development would add 200 houses to the village and Yew Tree Farm would add 120 houses. Together they would make a 22% increase, which we believe is unnecessary, unsustainable and undemocratic.

In 2019, Kingsclere held a referendum and overwhelmingly voted for its Neighbourhood Plan. This is a legal document which should direct the Borough Council planning officers where developments can and cannot take place. These sites came fourth and fifth in our evaluation and were consequently ruled out. The plan calls for smaller developments of up to 50 houses to be built up to the end of 2029. Of course, the Parish will have to comply with new housing requirements mandated by the Government, but as yet we have not officially been given an increased allocation.

In addition, the Yew Tree Farm proposal is on land within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

KPC recognises that some development is inevitable, and indeed desirable, to support local families and businesses. But it must be within the democratically mandated limits of Kingsclere's Neighbourhood Plan and not overwhelm local services.

It's important to know that any current 'consultations' are purely informal market research for the benefit of the company only. They want to get early feedback on their ideas and accumulate evidence to support their future planning applications. In fact, the questions asked may seem worded to gain your approval. Neither company has yet submitted a formal planning application, so any decisions are still a long way off.

KPC recommends that residents respond to the current Vistry Porch Farm ‘consultation’ to reject it.

This article is continued in Part 2