Plan for more than 170 New Forest homes takes step forward

Highwood Ventures has formally submitted an application to build on four parcels of land which comprise part of a 50-acre site between Hythe and Dibden.

The scheme includes a 30-acre country park and new access routes leading off three existing roads.

People have been given until September 4 to submit comments, but Hythe and Dibden Parish Council is pushing for the deadline to be extended.

Highwood Ventures is seeking consent to build homes on four parcels of land at Home Farm, Hythe (Image: Highwood Ventures/NFDC planning portal)

Mark Clark, the parish council chairman, said: "The scheme includes new vehicle accesses from Southampton Road, Widecombe Drive and Challenger Way, a new country park with play areas and sports pitches, and a new car park off Challenger Way.

"Given the scale of this application, we have asked New Forest District Council whether the consultation period could be extended.

"In the meantime, we will be reviewing the submitted documents and preparing a summary to help residents and members navigate them."

Proposals to redevelop to the site were unveiled last year and sparked an angry response from people who keep their ponies on the land.

A footpath crosses a large area of grazing land where Highwood Ventures wants to provide 171 homes and a country park (Image: Newsquest)

Posting on social media, one person said: "I'm in shock. Our horses are in those fields. It may not be important to some, but to me these are my children and they may have nowhere to go."

Another added: "Most of us decided to live here because it's rural, where rural people do rural things. Sadly it's turning into a concrete jungle."

Now, Highwood has submitted a proposal to build 171 homes, 35 per cent of which would be affordable.

The application says England faces a "significant" housing crisis, including a clear and pressing need for more homes in the New Forest.

"The proposed development would make a positive contribution to meeting that need through the delivery of new market and affordable homes."

Highwood Ventures has submitted an application to build 171 homes on grazing land at Home Farm, Hythe (Image: Newsquest)

Highwood says it wants to create a "sensitively designed and landscape-led extension" to existing built-up areas that border the site.

But the scheme coincides with plans to build a large number of new homes in the Waterside area, including 1,000 at Marchwood.

Posting on social media one person cited the shortage of doctors and NHS dentists, adding: "No more housebuilding should be allowed until all our infrastructure has been improved."