For centuries, the serene and picturesque landscapes of Jane Austen Country between Farnham and Alresford in Hampshire have stood as a testament to the timeless beauty that inspired the author of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

It is a place that holds unique historical, cultural and environmental significance, and deep personal meaning to tens of thousands who visit every year. The rolling hills, the quaint villages, the clear chalk streams, and the tranquil environment are a haven of inspiration and peace.

However, this precious area, steeped in literary history, faces an imminent threat as plans to construct 20,000 new houses loom over our beloved landscape, creating a 14-mile urban ribbon through the heart of one of England’s most beautiful and iconic landscapes.

The proposed construction will not only mar the natural beauty and character of Jane Austen Country, but will also place an unsustainable strain on the local infrastructure - roads, public transport, schools, doctors, sewage plants, all of which are already overburdened. The development plan threatens to exacerbate these issues, potentially rendering our cherished home unrecognisable.

The environmental and ecological impact will be devastating. Constructing 20,000 new homes will crush Roman, Saxon and Domesday Book settlements, swallow idyllic villages and market towns, including Jane Austen’s home village of Chawton, and destroy two iconic chalk streams, the upper Wey and the world-famous River Itchen, home to kingfishers, otters, and endangered crayfish.

We understand the need for housing. But we must urge the local council and developers to find a balanced approach that preserves the heritage and natural beauty of Jane Austen Country. New national research from the Council for the Protection of Rural England shows brownfield sites across the UK could accommodate 1.4 million houses, just short of the 1.5 million the government has promised to build. 

More locally, between 2026-2028, East Hampshire District Council, whose plan this is, is being abolished, to be replaced by a new Unitary Authority amalgamating five district councils (Winchester, Basingstoke, Rushmoor, Hart, and East Hampshire), plus part of Hampshire County Council. A key reason for creating the new authority, responsible for a wider area, is to allow it to locate housing more strategically, closer to towns and cities, like Winchester and Basingstoke, and nearer to critical infrastructure, like the M3 and A34, and the South Western Main Line.

In East Hampshire, this reorganisation should also help address a historic injustice in which 90% of the district’s new housing is built on 30% of its area, because the other 70% is in places, like the South Downs National Park, where development is severely restricted. East Hampshire’s own figures also show the new authority would have 6.48 years of land predesignated for housing, as opposed to East Hampshire’s 2.7, allowing the new authority to stop bad developments and plan properly, in a way that the latter cannot.

Nonetheless, East Hampshire officials are planning to plough ahead with their plan to concrete over Jane Austen Country – by their own estimate, turning ancient villages and peaceful countryside into a giant building site until at least 2043. Scandalously, facing overwhelming public opposition, they plan to do this without consulting anyone. 

We implore you to stand with us in protecting this precious landscape. Your support is crucial in demonstrating to decision-makers that the value of preserving our shared cultural and environmental heritage far outweighs short-term gains. Join us in our fight to ensure that Jane Austen Country remains a source of inspiration and joy for generations to come. Please sign this petition and help us safeguard the legacy and beauty of our cherished home.

Stop the Council! Stop the Plan! Save Austen Country! 

More details at: www.savejaneaustencountry.org