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Say NO to 1100 Homes at Chawton Park Farm
The plan is that we should all write to our elected representatives about the legion of reasons to object to Harrow Estate's plan to build 1100 houses on Chawton Park Farm, this can be done now, (see below for the reasons) and also once Harrow's outline application comes in. Right now they have a request awaiting EHDC's reply for a 'scoping opinion' on the Environmental Impact Assessment that has to be done. The EHDC planning page for this is to be found here: Scoping Opinion Request
Here is the link to your EHDC Councillors.
If you have any questions do get in touch via email to saynotochawtonparkfarm@gmail.com.
This Background Document was sent to all EHDC Councillors prior to our speech at Full Council on 28th September 2023. CPF Background Paper Sept 2023 It contains all the objections to building on this site.
The Objections
· Site given four red flags in the original Large Sites Assessment in 2019
· Campaign for the Protection of Rural England describes it as a “Valued Landscape” as defined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) para 170(a) 2019. Now referenced at para 187 of the 2024 NPPF update.
· Site Access
· Overwhelming traffic issues
· Complete absence of Sustainability
Your concerns were, and still will be:
a) Destruction of Landscape (and ensuing impact of its loss on mental health);
b) loss of biodiversity and farmland;
c) the wrong location for development - too far from facilities;
d) the fact that Altonians have already accepted a considerable amount of development around their town particularly along Chawton Park Road.
e) the worsening of traffic issues and last but not least, the inability of infrastructure to cope.
Extra detail regarding Valued Landscape, Site Access, Traffic Issues and Sustainability
Traffic issues
We know that EHDC has written evidence of the traffic issues associated with this area of Alton which would make it a living hell for local residents if Chawton Park Farm were to be built on. The 2015 Alton Transport Strategy predicted that on completion of the Ackender Hill development on Chawton Park Road, queues of about 34 vehicles would appear at morning peak hour, at the Chawton Park Road/Whitedown Lane junction.
The strategy also predicted that the junction would operate at 96 per cent capacity – defined as being well above its practical limit and that is before any development at Chawton Park Farm! We understand that Hampshire County Council expressed concern over any signalisation of this junction and that they are currently ‘monitoring’ the situation.
1100 houses at the farm would bring at least an extra 2000 cars to this area.
Access
Access to the site is constrained by the combined hazards of, firstly the narrow width of Northfield Lane & Chawton Park Road; secondly an almost single lane Victorian railway arch and thirdly a tight 90 degree bend, directly opposite the entrance to Chawton Park Farm.
Sustainability
This is not a Sustainable Site. The eastern boundary is nearly 1 and half miles from the centre of Alton and at least a 30 minute walk, with the western boundary being roughly another mile away from the town centre. This is considerably outside the latest thinking on 15 to 20 minute neighbourhoods and completely inconsistent with this Council’s Climate Emergency declaration of 2019.
Development of Chawton Park Farm will inevitably impact its nearby SINCs, ancient woodland, ‘valued’ landscape and the Medieval Deer Park Pales
The site is surrounded by woodland some of which is designated ’ancient woodland’ and Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation. A large busy development would negatively impact the wildlife in those woodlands and the woods themselves by incursion of residents, domestic animals, and light pollution. The Council for the Protection of Rural England has characterised this site as a ‘valued’ landscape within the definition of the National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 170(a). Finally, the site contains, and parts are in close proximity to, medieval Deer Park Pales which have been described by the County Archaeologist as a ‘monument of national importance’.
A31 Alliance - we are members of this campaigning group
A31 Alliance (see below – linked with the Save Jane Austen Country petition https://bit.ly/SaveJaneAustenCountry asks everyone to write to their District Councillor to ask EHDC to re-run Regulation 18 for a public consultation on the available sites for development that the public have not yet been consulted on - given that all 274 sites will now be needed to accommodate the government doubling of EHDC's housing targets.
A31 Alliance chair Sir Charles Cockburn, of Beech, said: "It is difficult to improve on the comment made by Richard Millard, leader of East Hampshire District Council, on May 29, 2022, [actually 28 July] responding to Simon Jenkins’ recommendation that permission for development of Chawton Park Farm be refused.
“Cllr Millard said: ‘Good! It is the wrong location; it is the wrong size; and it has the wrong infrastructure provision.’
“None of those negative factors have changed over the last three years."
Sir Charles Cockburn, the Chair, says in the Alton Herald article of 17th Nov:
"The A31 Alliance strongly advises local people to contact their district councillor to demand their say on a Local Plan that has completely changed since they were last consulted.”
“Any attempt by East Hampshire District Council to avoid such a re-consultation would represent the opposite of democratic accountability.”
“The large developers are in charge of planning policy in East Hampshire. Welcome to the Urban District of Jane Austen Country. Sign the Save Jane Austen Country petition.”
Developer Harrow Estates is preparing to submit initial plans to East Hampshire District Council for 1,100 houses on Chawton Park Farm near Alton.
Harrow Estates’ plans include a local centre and primary school land. Up to 40 per cent of homes would be ‘affordable’.
Planning director Steve Neal said: “Our plans for land south-west of Alton are a real opportunity to plan properly for Alton’s future.”
Harrow Estates will hold public consultations next year.
East Hampshire cannot demonstrate the five-year housing land supply required to fend off speculative developments such as this one for Chawton Park Farm.
EHDC was updating its Local Plan when the government doubled its housing target and forced it to make almost all of 274 possible sites [in the Land Availability Assessment – see link here https://bit.ly/EHDCLAA available for housing, prompting 21,394 protesters to sign the Save Jane Austen Country online petition.
Environmental Scoping Opinion
This is a formal written assessment provided by a planning authority or relevant body, stating the scope, level of detail, and key issues to include in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and its accompanying Environmental Statement (ES) for proposed developments.
Process
Developers submit a scoping request with details like project plans, descriptions, and likely environmental effects to obtain this opinion. Authorities consult experts and stakeholders before issuing the opinion, typically within 5 weeks, focusing on significant effects such as those on biodiversity, water, or air.
Importance
It helps developers focus efforts on relevant topics, exclude non-issues, and avoid delays in planning approvals, though it's not always mandatory. The resulting ES must align with the opinion if the project remains substantially unchanged.
saynotochawtonparkfarm@gmail.com