Residents of Four Marks & Medstead - we need your help!

EHDC is currently consulting the public on its new Local Plan (LP). One proposal is to change the existing Settlement Hierarchy Policy (SHP) for our villages. 

This policy states that the more facilities a settlement has, which are accessible (on foot or cycle) the more sustainable it is deemed to be. The higher a settlement is up in the hierarchy the more likely it is to take considerably more housing.

FM&M are currently in Tier 3 which is defined as a small local service centre that is able to accommodate modest development to meet local needs. 

In the new policy, EHDC are proposing that FM&M move UP the hierarchy (from Tier 3 to Tier 2), suggesting it is now a more sustainable location even though nothing materially has changed.

The fear is that EHDC will use this change to justify building even more houses in FM&M on top of the enormous number we have already taken over the last 9 years. 

In a further twist, EHDC proposes to place FM&M in the same tier as Horndean which has significantly more facilities, local employment hubs, a senior school and a large Morrison's supermarket. This is crazy.

We feel that this proposal is wrong and underhand, and we are robustly challenging it. 

Our two villages need to fight this change or 1 or 2 huge housing estates (of 600+ houses) could be heading our way. 

To learn more about this issue go to our website https://www.smashonline.co.uk 

URGENT please voice your concerns now via email to EDHC before 16th January. 

Email address :- localplan@easthants.gov.uk

Alternatively, send an email to the same address as above, saying that you strongly support SMASH’s objections to the changes to the Settlement Hierarchy Policy.

Thank you for your support.

SMASH (Stand with Medstead Against Speculative Housing)