QEB appeal decisions announced

THE Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears has turned down all three appeals by Taylor Wimpey Developments following the refusal of planning permission by Hart District Council concerning the former Queen Elizabeth II Barracks site at Church Crookham.

The appeals concerned: the redevelopment of the main site for up to 1000 homes, village centre and open space; redevelopment to 55 houses in the Wakeford Copse area together with provision of a new roundabout and car park at the junction of Beacon Hill Road and Leipzig Road and the reduction in size of the Bourley Road car park.

Cllr Richard Appleton, Hart’s Cabinet member for Planning and Regulation, said: “The Secretary of State had agreed that some form of informal open space was appropriate for the south east corner of the site. However she had then said that the 150 houses lost should be redistributed throughout the site.

“We have spent £350,000 fighting this as well as £50,000 in officers’ time.

“Building houses appears to override all other government policies –in particular their plans to give local communities more power over their neighbourhoods.

“If the developer was to resubmit a planning application we would want to make sure it was of the highest quality of design. We could not re-open any of the issues that the Secretary of State has already decided.”