Hart Council has added a number of new sites to its SHLAA evidence base. There is a mix of brownfield and green field sites, as we explore below, but the overall impact is to increase the brownfield capacity to 2,493-2,535 units which is now enough to meet the remaining need of 2,500.
The sites are:
SHL25 Land attached to Brook House, Crondall, green field
SHL81 Vertu, Beacon Hill Road, Church Crookham, brownfield site, 65-70 units
SHL176 Hawley House, Hawley, in Blackwater and Hawley Parish, brownfield site, WHH estimate 8-10 units
SHL177 Land at Croft Lane, Hartley Wintney, green field site, WHH estimate
SHL178 Broden Stables & Stable Yard, Crondall, brownfield site 14-27 units
SHL179 Bowenhurst Lane, Crondall, brownfield site, 30-35 units
SHL180 Crondall Bee Farm, green field site
SHL181 Land south of Little Rye Farm, greenfield site
SHL189 Land at James Farm, Hartley Wintney, brownfield site, 8 units
We have been through each document and some have not yet been fully assessed by Hart’s Planners, so we have had to estimate the size of sites SHL176 and SHL177 using Google Maps and the capacity. Hart Council have not estimated the size of SHL180 either, but that site looks so remote and so close to Basingstoke Canal, that we feel it unlikely ever to be permitted so we have not bothered to estimate a size or capacity for it.
The total capacity of these new brownfield sites is 125-150 units, bringing our total estimate of brownfield capacity up to 2,493-2,535 units.
We have updated our table of brownfield sites and our brownfield thermometer accordingly.
If you would like to ask Hart to abandon the new town and urban extension ideas and create a brownfield solution to our housing needs, we urge you to respond to the Hart District Council consultation about the Local Plan and ask them to think again. We have created a dedicated consultation page, updated our two guides to responding to the consultation and they are available on the downloads below. The comments are designed to be cut and pasted into the boxes provided. It will be very powerful if you could edit the comments into your own words. Please do find time to respond to the consultation and play your part in saving our countryside.
Full version:
2 Minute version:
If these sites are completely redeveloped it would be a lot higher and you could still keep reduced office space and car parking on site but also add housing and green amenity space creating a vibrant town center community which boosts local shops and economic. A lot of towns across the country would give their left arm to have investment in their town centers that Fleet, Hook, Yateley and Blackwater could achieve.
If these sites are completely redeveloped it would be a lot higher and you could still keep reduced office space and car parking on site but also add housing and green amenity space creating a vibrant town center community which boosts local shops and economic. A lot of towns across the country would give their left arm to have investment in their town centers that Fleet, Hook, Yateley and Blackwater could achieve.
I do find some attitudes quite amazing. When I started this campaign, I was told that there was capacity for only 750 homes on brownfield sites over the course of the plan period. Frankly, that was based on some dodgy data in what was then the equally dodgy SHLAA.
I have asked HDC what has happened to those original 750, but received no response.
I first photographed many of these vacant sites in January 2015, and was told they weren’t available, and nobody was interested in developing them. But since then Stonegate have come forwards and actually started working on some of the sites, and from their report, it is obvious they are interested in others. Now the Government has extended the Permitted Development Rights scheme indefinitely, I think it is only a matter of time before more of these sites are bought up by Stonegate and others.
In fact it would not surprise me at all, if the eventual capacity wasn’t higher than I have put in the plan above.
The adult thing to do would be to look at the situation and find a long term approach and solution to housing in the area. A new town at low density only provides 10-15 years of housing, what do we do after that? Another new town? or will we look at brownfield then?
Gareth I have not forgotted it The problem is that Hart only include land where the land owner have indicated they are willing to sell That apply equally to Winchfield, Hook Fleet and Crookham. look at the amount of Red on the map in those area that is where owners have indicated they are prepared to sell. Sorry to be honest but we need adult conversations about where we build. look at Fig 4 on Page 19 https://www.hart.gov.uk/sites/default/files/4_The_Council/Consultations/local_plan_Feb_2016/refined%20Options%20for%20delivering%20New%20Homes%202016%20v2.6.pdf
Many people also seem to have conveniently forgotten that 100 plus acres in the centre of the suggested new town are not available for sale. This makes it very difficult to deliver a new town to the extent that I understand an underhand attempt was made on one of the land owners, which subsequent was reported to the police and has been documented in local news.
Many people also seem to have conveniently forgotten that 100 plus acres in the centre of the suggested new town are not available for sale. This makes it very difficult to deliver a new town to the extent that I understand an underhand attempt was made on one of the land owners, which subsequent was reported to the police and has been documented in local news.
Gareth I have not forgotted it The problem is that Hart only include land where the land owner have indicated they are willing to sell That apply equally to Winchfield, Hook Fleet and Crookham. look at the amount of Red on the map in those area that is where owners have indicated they are prepared to sell. Sorry to be honest but we need adult conversations about where we build. look at Fig 4 on Page 19 https://www.hart.gov.uk/sites/default/files/4_The_Council/Consultations/local_plan_Feb_2016/refined%20Options%20for%20delivering%20New%20Homes%202016%20v2.6.pdf
Some seem to forget 5000 are on land where the land owners or / and local community do not wish to be built on. It works both ways.
You seem to forget that 785 are on sites where the owners do not currently wish to sell for Housing so we still wil need green field sites
Not sure James farm site as pictured is a good idea. Either the nursery school will be lost or the children will go to nursery next to a building site.
Not sure James farm site as pictured is a good idea. Either the nursery school will be lost or the children will go to nursery next to a building site.
There will obviously be a transitional period, but the build time ought to be less than 12 months.
Not actually sure what the proposal is. It can only be classed as brownfield because of the existing nursery, so a development implies knocking down the nursery building which, as Hartley Wintney needs one a replacement would the be built (on green field?) somewhere else? Not sure it is worth it for 8 houses, or am I missing something?
Not actually sure what the proposal is. It can only be classed as brownfield because of the existing nursery, so a development implies knocking down the nursery building which, as Hartley Wintney needs one a replacement would the be built (on green field?) somewhere else? Not sure it is worth it for 8 houses, or am I missing something?
I think it is the waste ground next door which looks “previously developed” judging by the concrete. I have no idea what was there before.
I think it is the waste ground next door which looks “previously developed” judging by the concrete. I have no idea what was there before.