PLANS to build 240 homes to the north of Fordingbridge have received more than 100 objections.

An application for outline planning permission on land to the north of Station Road has been submitted to New Forest District Council by Infinite Homes Ltd.

The proposals include a new access off Station Road and 10.7 hectares of open space, off-street car parking and access roads. on land between Fordingbridge and Ashford.

There have been 108 objections online over the plans with 113 comments on the district council’s website. Concerns raised include the impact on traffic and infrastructure as well as on doctors, dentists and schools and concerns over the Station Road access.

Commenting on the application on the council’s website Steve Grose said: “This development should be turned down, although Fordingbridge can and does need affordable housing this brings nothing to that need and creates a number of other problems. We do not have the school places, doctors surgery capacity or any of the other infrastructure required for these and other proposed development projects.What Fordingbridge needs is infrastructure first and the most important part of that is a relief road to ensure the new traffic created does not use the High Street and Station Road.”

“Don’t destroy our town just so you can tick off a central government requirement.” added Mr Grose.

Fordingbridge resident Amanda Scott said an “overriding concern” was the impact of the development on the “character of the town, on traffic and pollution, and the wider impacts to the surrounding area” which she said “must be properly considered if it is to be integrated into the town in a way that benefits both new and existing residents”.

Another resident Alice Jones said: “The last thing this town needs is more houses!!! You are taking away what Fordingbridge is! It will become even more over crowded.”

Resident M Ackerman said: “With this development and the development happening near Burgate I feel that this nice quiet, New Forest town will be no longer quiet and also the green space will be taken by houses. I’m all one for new houses and developments but it can’t ruin the green space that the town is trying its best to grip onto.”

Resident Helen Tague added: “The impact that this proposal will have is completely unacceptable. Station Road is very well used by large vehicles travelling from Sandleheath and Damerham and is challenging when these vehicles meet. All of this including the number of vehicles generated by 240 houses will have a detrimental effect on the High Street.”

She added: “Fordingbridge is a town and not a village but this is completely the wrong area for future development.This application must be opposed.”

Resident Paul Reeve said: “This is an over development, Station Road is a narrow poorly surfaced road which already takes a considerable volume of traffic. This will add additional traffic to a road which is already not fit for purpose. Our green spaces need to be preserved not built upon. Local amenities such as schools and doctors also can not cope with this huge influx of additional residents. I also have concerns whether the local job market can support an extra 500+ additional residents.”

Meanwhile on the online application Ellee Williams said: “240 dwellings is going to have a detrimental effect on this town, with the schools and doctors surgery already busting at the seams. How are we going to accommodate for this? Not to mention the amount of traffic this is going to bring into the town it will cause turmoil.”

William Shering said: “Fordingbridge is already choked with traffic, causing pollution, which is harmful to local residents. Any new building on this site will add considerably to that pollution. The already choked traffic in the centre of Fordingbridge harms businesses and the livelihood of residents. This building would harm even more.”

Rosemary Baverstock said: “The proposal for a new access on Station Road is an absolutely ludicrous one. This road is already dangerous, busy, narrow and with a nasty blind bend very near the proposed access. Heavy lorries regularly have to cross the white line in order to negotiate it, oncoming traffic then has to brake sharply to avoid an accident, this is a regular occurrence.”

A letter from the crime prevention officer called for the access points to be revised stating: “To reduce the opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour the number of access points should reviewed with the numbers being significantly reduced.”

The planning statement also said that “on balance” it was a “well-designed and sensitive” development, which would “significantly assist the delivery of much needed new housing in a district that is largely constrained by the National Park and other designations of National Importance”.

A statement on behalf of the applicant said the location of the new access would “ensure highways safety whilst minimising the loss of mature trees along the Station Road boundary of the site”, adding: “The proposed location for the access is the optimal location and the provision of a ghost island at the junction will provide safe access and egress to/from the site whilst having the effect of widening that part of Station Road which should assist with general traffic flows.”There is to be a secondary access to the site utilising the existing access to the site and to Allenbrook Care Home.It said the proposal includes a number of new rights of way but also a new footpath/cycleway along the Station Road boundary of the site, providing cyclists and pedestrians an “alternative route to the current narrow footpath on the southern side of Station Road”It also said a transport assessment concluded the site is “well located for non-car access to a broad range of amenities” in the town centreand the development proposals are “unlikely to result in any adverse traffic impacts” on the operation of the local highway network”.Therefore, it is considered that there is no reason why the scheme should be resisted on transport grounds.

On concerns over doctors, dentists and school place provision, the statement said the proposal will attract a “very large” Community Infrastructure Levy.

It added: “The intention is that councils use these contributions to ensure that community provisions such as doctors, dentists and education are adequately provided for given the demands that will come from any new development.”

In response to these concerns in developing the scheme design the proposed dwellings along the boundary with the houses on Ashford Close have been provided with extra deep gardens allowing the new dwellings to be set back a significant distance from the boundary with Ashford Close. This will remove any overbearing or overlooking impacts that are perceived by Ashford Close residents.

Fordingbridge Town Council will discuss the plans on August 12.New Forest District Council decide whether to grant approval.

To view the application go to https://planning.newforest.gov.uk/online-applications (Reference 20/10522).