Objection by New Forest District Council’s Environmental Design to Pennyfarthing Homes’ plans for 74 of 342-home scheme on land west of Whitsbury Road in Fordingbridge

A DEVELOPMENT of 74 homes in Fordingbridge, which is part of a wider plan for over 300 properties in the area, is set for the green light despite a design “concern”.

Developer Pennyfarthing Homes eventually wants to create a neighbourhood of 342 homes on the northern edge of the town, with the proposed new development part of the Forde Valley housing scheme in the wake of its nearby Whitsbury Green development.

Outline planning approval for land west of Whitsbury Road was granted last September, with the site having been allocated in NFDC’s Local Plan.

The first phase of the development will provide 18 affordable homes, which would be a mix of flats and houses. There would also be 56 open market homes, which would include flats, houses and bungalows.

The reserved matters application is being recommended for approval by NFDC’s planning officers in a report to the committee which will meet next Wednesday, on the grounds it will bring social and economic benefits and create “much needed” housing.

The committee will be asked to approve reserved matters relating to appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the 74 properties, including associated access and highway works, as well as alternative natural recreational greenspace and ecological enhancements including biodiversity net gain.

However, the council’s environmental design team has objected to the plans. A report says while various amendments have been made to improve the scheme, the design retains “some areas of concern”.

The objection states: “The overall impression is that this would mostly offer an acceptable quality of place, with greenspace surrounding the projects as a setting and amenity for residents and visitors.

“Buildings are generally of pleasant design, with some variation and highlights where needed. Edges to the greenspace are considered at lower density, with some frontage gardens and tree planting to help soften the countryside edge.

“There is some valuable ANRG and greenspace, which is pleasantly laid out. Some of the streets and dwelling groups create a modicum of character to help offer a sense of place. However, there are some areas of concern.”

This includes the edge of the development alongside some plots not offering a “good enough boundary to the open space”, with suggestions a hedgerow should be installed, a “mismatch of pathways” at the entrance to the site due to public rights of ways not being diverted, which is said to create “a contrived landscape” and the revised layout for a play area being “a poor design solution which depletes the landscaped quality” of the scheme.

Despite this, the plans have been recommended for approval.