Say NO to 1,300+ Houses in Medstead/Four Marks

Why is there a need for this petition now?

During the preparation of the new EHDC Local Plan (LP) in 2019, Whitehill and Bordon were selected from the Large Development Sites process, to supply 1,200 homes. Additional locations were also sought to build a further 1,300+ new dwellings in the EHDC area, outside the South Downs National Park. Due to changes in government planning guidance and the requirement to build even more houses, the Leader of EHDC Council Richard Millard decided to reset this process and return to regulation 18, (which is part of the Local Plan preparation process). In effect EHDC Council Officers will re-examine the original 10 sites that were identified in 2019, gathering more evidence, before again submitting their proposals for public review, (Reg 18).

Four of the ten large sites identified are in Medstead and Four Marks! 

SMASH (Stand with Medstead Against Speculative Housing) want to co-ordinate the community voice against these huge, proposed housing developments in our 2 villages and present EHDC with our strength of feelings, before key decisions are made. 

Please sign this petition & ask anyone else who may be affected or who may be interested, to do the same. 

ALL ADULTS (18+) IN A HOUSEHOLD CAN SIGN, PLUS YOU CAN SIGN EVEN IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE AREA.

Reasons against these proposed developments

Very high delivery of houses in the area already.

Local people understand the need for new houses, including affordable ones, but the number of houses being proposed within the villages of Medstead & Four Marks (possibly 1,300+) is inappropriate, unsustainable, unfair, and overwhelming.

In the last 9 years, these two villages, with limited facilities, have already accommodated approximately 600 new houses, including more than 170 affordable homes. This is a significant contribution to the local need. Since 2013, house numbers in the southern part of Medstead have nearly doubled (from 340 to 637) and Four Marks has seen the construction of 254 new dwellings.  Furthermore, most of these houses have been built on green fields. They are high density, urban in style, have brought thousands of additional vehicles to mainly narrow country roads and are changing the character of these rural villages irreversibly.

A31 and local road issues

The A31 through Four Marks is a bottleneck – it goes from a dual carriageway to a single lane road through the village, with multiple junctions. Hampshire Highways Authority acknowledge that some of the key junctions from Medstead and Four Marks feeder roads onto the A31 are already above their design capacity, exacerbated by single lane railway tunnels/ bridges in some cases. Introducing significantly more vehicles would result in a totally unacceptable impact on the local road network, potentially causing long queues and possible gridlock. 

We believe that if any of the four sites are selected, then our rural villages will simply become car dependent urban estates. Thousands more vehicles will worsen existing travel issues, increase the levels of greenhouse gas emissions, (contrary to EHDC Climate and Environment Strategy 2020-2025, Section B2i) reduce air quality, due to many more queuing vehicles and thus adversely affecting the health and wellbeing of residents. The Council’s Transport Consultant acknowledges (see Sustainability Appraisal of EH Local Plan Feb 2021) that these two villages are car dependent as many facilities e.g., major supermarkets, train station, banks, sports centre, library, secondary schools etc. are all over 6km away in Alton.  Many village roads in Medstead in particular, are narrow and do not have footpaths, presenting dangerous hazards to school children and other pedestrians, cyclists & horse riders. A significant increase in vehicle numbers will make the roads even more dangerous and attempts to overtake will, in many cases, contravene rule 163 of the Highway Code. 

Facilities

Local schools and Doctors/dentist surgeries that are already at capacity level will be overwhelmed.

Local wildlife 

Wildlife will be adversely affected; a few bat and bird boxes will not make up for the loss of huge areas of green habitat – they won’t help the local deer, hare, hazel dormouse, or owl populations! This is all at a time when the government is attempting to restore wildlife habitat through its 2022 Policy Paper – “Local Nature Recovery Scheme”.  Additionally, our need to grow our own food has never been more pressing due to the ever-increasing population of the country and current global events.

Heritage

The WATERCRESS line is a heritage railway that attracts thousands of visitors to the area each year. It prospers in part due to the scenic and beautiful landscape that unfurls as one travels between Alresford and Alton stopping in between at the lovingly restored and preserved stations of Ropley and Medstead/Four Marks. To threaten such a preserved environment as this, and visually spoil the views and charm of the Hampshire countryside in this area is unthinkable!  

EHDC are now targeting another 161 acres of prime farmland in Medstead (over 2 sites) and 197 acres (over 2 sites) in Four Marks for ~1,300 dwellings.

It is now time to say NO to further huge housing estates. We want to KEEP MEDSTEAD & FOUR MARKS in character with the surrounding rural areas. 

Please help us save our villages from this 'urbanisation' nightmare and our countryside from unwarranted destruction! 

You can make a difference!

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY

For more information go to https://www.smashonline.co.uk  

DOWNLOAD A LEAFLET

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dqg4Ps4o9V4WRimB-jofUQo2_fGlCxrB/view?usp=sharing

DOWNLOAD A POSTER  and maybe display in your window or on your gate 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VxGeENL-pajJAwbZf2e6l1GX5pMQmtFw/view?usp=sharing