SOUTHAMPTON residents have rallied together to object to plans to build hundreds of new flats in the city.

Developers submitted plans to Southampton City Council to transform a landmark building in Romsey Road into 241 flats back in November 2019.

The proposals details plans to turn the building, once home of Britain’s legendary mapmakers Ordnance Survey, into 241 apartments with a further 225 parking spaces.

But the plans have been met with anger from local residents, who claim the development will “overpopulate the area” and cause “hazards”.

As well as plans for 241 flats, proposals to build a a three-storey 73-bedroom hotel in the Compass House car park have also been submitted.

The hotel is expected to create 19 new jobs.

Nine objections to the proposals have been submitted to the council in the past month, with a further nine objection letters submitted regarding the hotel development.

Mrs T Padfield, of Romsey Road, said in a letter to the council: “Whilst the original development of this site was approved to include plans for the necessary addition of a doctor and dentist to care for the increased population, this has not happened.

“The site has already been over developed in that the residents including small children have no safe footpaths to navigate around. They are required to walk in the road which is an accident waiting to happen.

“The original compass house application was for change of use and to add a fourth floor to the existing building which was approved subject to additional parking spaces being provided.”

In another objection letter, David Smith, of Brunel Road, said: “They seem to think that by reducing the amount of car parking, residents will forgo their cars and use public transport and other means to move about.

"They claim that the proposed development is on a good public transport route.

"This isn’t true the road is serviced by one bus route.”

David Cookson, of Ashmead Road, said in an objection letter: “Parking in the area is already a problem and shortage of parking spaces is not helpful.

“Providing there is adequate parking put in place eg. underground parking or a small multi storey car park then this could be beneficial but the current plans in place are not acceptable so I object.

“Most households have more than one car and therefore more than one space is required with adequate visitor spaces.

“Maybe build less houses and flats on the site to allow for parking spaces. Improve the public transport buses to area to encourage more use of buses.”