A DEVELOPER has filed a fourth round of plans to build homes in a Highcliffe woodland.
Brentland Ltd has already encountered huge opposition to its housing proposals for the area of land off Jesmond Avenue.
After seeing two draft requests denied and a decision made to withdraw a third program, the company has now revealed its latest vision for the site.
Full planning permission is sought for 17 houses, with new vehicle access, upgrading of an existing footpath, provision of landscaped common open space and associated infrastructure.
If approved, 16 four-bed and one three-bed family homes would be built with the removal of more than 200 trees from the site.
A planning statement from Terence O’Rourke Ltd on behalf of Brentland Ltd said the applicants wanted to provide a “bespoke and sensitively designed scheme of modern and attractive homes which will complement and blend in with the character” of the area.
“Brentland Ltd’s aim is to create cohesive, high quality development which enhances the landscape and the ecological management, and therefore value, of the site, enables residents to access much of the site to derive benefits from it. recreational benefits and adding value to the area through a well constructed scheme, helping to meet local housing needs,” the planning statement said.
“It is important to note that large parts of the site will remain undeveloped and will be accessible to the public.”
The planning statement says the BCP council, and in particular the Christchurch area, has failed to demonstrate sufficient housing land supply for the period up to 2026.
“This proposal concerns 17 housing units and will make an important contribution to the housing supply in the district. Substantial weight can be given to the provision of new housing in the planning balance sheet,” the statement added.
No affordable housing is included in the plan, which is deemed “not viable for this development”. A contribution to the supply of affordable housing elsewhere in the agglomeration is proposed.
An arboreal method statement from Treecall Consulting Ltd said plans would see 245 trees removed from the site – 96% of these are poor quality Grade C trees or very poor quality Grade U trees removing adjacent trees better quality.
More than 646 trees would be preserved on the site, including eight of better quality (categories A and B) removed.
Schemes refused by Brentland Ltd requested block approval for 23 homes and 35 homes and a 68-bed care home. These were rejected by BCP Council last year and Christchurch Borough Council in 2018, respectively. The file withdrawn by the firm proposed 18 houses and 36 apartments.
The site was purchased by Hampshire County Council in 1964 with plans for the construction of a bypass. However, it was sold back to landowner Boyland and Son in 2017 after the roads project was scrapped.
