A CONTROVERSIAL 1,100-home development on Hampshire countryside is to be reviewed by a senior government minister.

Mims Davies, MP for Eastleigh, has written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Greg Clark, asking him to step in and look into concerns raised about the scheme at Stoneham Park in Eastleigh.

And she revealed she has also made contact with Highways England, which has also agreed to look at its response to it again.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo developer Highwood’s £70m proposal for the site south of Chestnut Avenue, near to junction five of the M27, is on the land owned by the borough council, the developer and county council.

It was given the green light in June despite provoking fierce objections from residents who formed a Save Stoneham Park group and submitted nearly 150 objections.

Ms Davies has written to the minister asking him to look at the application’s process and the reports.

She said she could not get involved in the planning process but wanted to ensure that “the process is fully looked at and the impact rightly taken into account”.

Her principle concerns are more traffic on congested surrounding roads, increased pollution and the way the decision was made.

As previously reported, the scheme was passed by just six councillors on the Eastleigh Local Area Committee, which decides issues including planning applications in the town area.

Ms Davies said on such large developments that affect the whole borough the decision should be up to the whole council.

She also revealed she raised the development in a meeting with Highways England bosses who she said expressed “dismay” at the scheme given its proximity to year-long congestion improvement work at junction 5, based on current traffic, due to finish this week.

Highways England has so far supported the plans subject to the design of the new site access roundabout.

But Ms Davies said bosses agreed to re-examine the plans to make sure it was satisfied with the site’s impact.

“It’s a very significant development,” she said.

“People are already struggling to get around the area and I’m concerned about the future impact.

“It’s rare that things are overturned but for me it’s important that if people write to me about their concerns I forward it on.”

A spokeswoman for Highwood Group said the issues raised by the MP had been “properly and fully addressed during the application process”.

They added that traffic pollution had been “fully considered in collaboration with Highways England who had subsequently confirmed it was satisfied that the impacts of the development have been adequately mitigated”.

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said all applications were considered on merit.

They added that it would decide whether or not to call in the application in due course.

Eastleigh Borough Council declined to comment and Highways England did not respond to requests for comments from the Daily Echo.