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Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Colin Osborne (16th Apr 2012 - 20:45:11) Paul Bowman (EHDC Senior Planning Officer) has advised that the Lowsley Farm Planning applications will come before the Planning Committe at Penns Place on THURSDAY 3rd MAY. In view of the size of this project I have asked EHDC for 2 x 3 minute sessions (usually 1) to cover the Residents issues one for the access and traffic issues via the roundabout and the other for the impact of the proposed 155 houses on the Lowsley farm estate on the village/town. I will be approaching the Parish Council (the Council will get 3 minutes) about our presentataions to EHDC Planning Committee. I will keep you posted of the agreed approach. Paul is happy to receive final written comments (letter or e-mail) until Friday 20th April 2012. Any new material issues will be reported as an update at Planning Committee. Those who have objected and made commenst on this application will be written to 8 days in advance of Planning Committee. There are still on going issues with the long running objections and comments to the revised compact roundabout and the impact on Longmoor Road residents. The following documents have been posted on the EHDC web site on the 12th April and are worth your consideration:- HCC comments (letter from Stephen Jenkins to Paul Bowman) and the latest illustration of the roundabout changes. I have not had a response from the Ecologist on the Bat Mitigation issues or feedback from the Council's Drainage Consultant on the issues raised on Water/Sewage/Drainage plans for the site. Please take this LAST opportunity to raise your comments and objections. If you have anything for me please get in touch.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Steve Miller (17th Apr 2012 - 15:27:55) It is worth pointing out that the latest revision to the Developer's proposal for the new roundabout near Griggs Green offers a sightline of only 50m for traffic approaching the roundabout from the west. This is a full 40m less than the recomended design standard. Despite this serious defficiency which is identified in their own internal technical review, Hampshire County Council have indicated to EHDC that the proposals are acceptable. There are only a few days left for any local resident who is unhappy with the way this application is being handled to make their views know to EHDC.

Griggs Green Roundabout - HCC formal complaint - Colin Osborne (22nd Apr 2012 - 11:09:55) You are aware of the continuing objections raised against the roundabout. Longmoor Road residents, in particular Steve Miller of 124, have taken Stephen Jenkins, Team leader of the HCC Highways team, to task. The latest revision to the Developer’s proposals submitted to EDHC includes ‘Departures from the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Standards’. An example is a line of sight of only 50 metres approaching the roundabout from the west, which is a full 40 metres short of the recommended standard. Despite this serious deficiency, and others, identified in their own internal review HCC have indicated to EHDC that the proposals should be acceptable. Steve Miller has now formally complained to HCC Director of Economy, Transport and Environment, and it has been escalated as a Stage 2 complaint. We are advised that a reply will take 20 days. Paul Bowman, EHDC Planning Officer, is aware and we have requested that the Lowsley Farm applications are taken off the Planninng Committee Agenda for the 3rd May until the complaint has been addressed. I will keep you posted.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Colin Osborne (27th Apr 2012 - 09:09:56) Many of you have let you felings be known on Talkback about the impact of 155 new houses, 300+ cars, and a roundabout on a dangerous bend on our community. The Planning DECISION will be made by EHDC on the 3rd MAY. The latest revision to the Developer’s proposals for a roundabout at Griggs Green submitted by HCC to EDHC include departures from the HCC recognised standards. Despite these serious deficiencies, which compromise safety, and an acknowledged complaint lodged with the HCC Director of Economy, Transport and Environment, the plans are to go before EHDC planning committe on the 3rd MAY with a recommendation for acceptance. The Residents, our Parish and our District Councillors will speak against the proposals at the Planning Committee on 3rd MAY at 5:30 pm at Penns Place, Petersfield. If you truly care about what is happening to Liphook please try and attend to offer your support to reflect community interest and the sense of solidarity against these proposals.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - M (27th Apr 2012 - 09:33:12) Shame they cant turn this area into a new football pitch for Liphook United FC which does so much for the community within Liphook, EG - 1) over 250 children playing within its grass roots and youth section and about to become chartered standard. 2) Liphook junior school doing so well with their inter school football tournaments due to Liphook FC youth section 3) yet again the mens team winning the league for a 2nd time and as champions defending the title. As you may be aware Kevin has resigned as manager because of the issues with the current pitch being too small, no floodlights and the facilities not meeting FA Standard for the club to progress further. so Yet again the 1st team can not be promoted. Maybe if they provide the roundabout at the correct spec as per the law and we ask for a pitch and club house to be built it will bring down the amount of houses proposed for the site and offer something back to the community

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - h (27th Apr 2012 - 12:12:10) Thank you Colin, it is important to show support next Thursday if there is no support, the District Councillors may think the people of Liphook are not bothered by this either way. |The more people the better at Penns Place, next Thursday evening.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - bdavies (27th Apr 2012 - 12:34:55) But the people of Liphook are bothered by this and have raised objections via the EHDC planning portal. Many have made issue of the lack of detail regarding infrastructure improvements and also the fact that this is being rushed through prior to the local plan being developed. Not to mention objection to the the new roundabout whose design and positioning was thought up by an amateur who is lacking both common sense and knowledge of road safety. This last point alone does not require a whole village to tell the botch merchants at HCC and EHDC that this building work is being steamrollered through for no reason other than to tick some boxes on the housing quota agenda.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Councillor Barbara Easton (27th Apr 2012 - 15:17:45) I agree with the last points, but the first application on their agenda is a housing estate planned for Four Marks, and I have heard there is an expected massive turnout for this. There are 12 District Councillors, from wards across North East Hampshire deciding this, some of whom will not have looked at the website to see the level of objection, and if only a handful of people turn up for Liphook then they may assume that we are indifferent by comparison.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Colin Osborne (2nd May 2012 - 14:55:19) The DECISION on Lowsley Farm development will be made at the EHDC Planning Committee meeting at Penns Place from 5:30 pm, Thursday 3rd May. I thank you all for your support and faith in me. I would now ask that if possible you attend the meeting to reflect the community interest and the sense of solidarity against the proposals. A Four marks development is on the Agenda ahead of us. 2 Lowsley Farm applications to be heard:- 155 dwellings development (34310/016) and the Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANGS) / Lowsley Piece (34310/017) land to mitigate the potential impact of the proposed residential development on the Wealden Heaths Phase II Special Protection Area (SPA). On each of the above applications there will be 3 minutes presentations of the arguments by the Residents (me), Parish Councillor (Barbara Easton) and then the developer. The EHDC councillors will then debate the issues, with Bill Mouland, our Ward councillor, speaking against the applications. I hope to see you there.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - jo (4th May 2012 - 08:04:37) How did the meeting go?

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Councillor Barbara Easton (4th May 2012 - 14:02:39) Permission was given, there was a long agenda and the meeting was from 5.30 until nearly 10.PM, the Lowsley Farm application was fully debated but officers had previously recommended permission, 3 voted against- Councillors Angela Glass, Ferris Cowper, and Adam Carew. Mr Osborne, myself and District Councillor Bill Mouland were allowed to speak against the application. There was one abstention I believe but the majority voted in favour.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - Jay W (5th May 2012 - 12:12:45) Thank you to Colin Osborne and Councillor Easton (and others) for putting forward our points of view - but is that it? We now get the housing deveopment complete with roundabout on the Longmoor Road or is there anything more the general public can do?

Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting Decision - Colin Osborne (7th May 2012 - 11:04:55) Despite the arguments put forward by me, Barbara Easton, on behalf of the Parish, and Bill Mouland, as our district ward councillor, we lost the subsequent debate with the majority of members voting in favour of outline planning permission, with Councillors Angela Glass, Ferris Cowper, and Adam Carew voting against and 1 abstention. Many thanks to the residents who managed to attend the meeting after a long wait for our case to be heard. I would like to thank all of you for your support and your faith in me to represent the residents. I am only sorry we could not deliver the result we all wanted. There follows a summary of the debate. There were 2 votes:- The first being on the Principle of Development. This was based on the issues raised by the Silent Garden Inspector on Appeal that the EHDC housing needs were adequately met in the current five-year period according to the Government’s planning policy (PPS3) and that the Lowsley Farm reserve site should be ranked last out of the Reserve Sites in the local plan. We felt it was also pre-emptive being ahead of the Joint Core Strategy, yet to come before the secretary of state, and denying us a localism choice. The new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was cited by the council as giving weight to relevant policies in existing plans according to their degree of consistency with this framework (the closer the policies in the plan are to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given). The Council stated that regard has been taken of all these factors and the government's recent changes to the national planning framework when forming the recommendation. The 2nd vote was on the Application itself. The main issue of debate was on the proposed access to the site via the location of the roundabout on Longmoor Road. HCC made 3 design changes to the roundabout, but despite this it still departed from the recognised standards. As you know we complained to HCC highways that the plans submitted to EHDC compromised on safety. In the end the committee accepted the HCC response that the street calming measures would resolve our foreshortened line of sight and stopping distances safety concerns. However, a condition on the developer is for a full public consultation on the indicative traffic calming measures in Longmoor Road. Bill Mouland advised that although Bohunt school is at full capacity it is not to benefit from any contribution towards additional education infrastructure. This is likely to compromise the placement of local pupils from the new estate and the intake of children coming from the junior school. The primary schooling will enjoy the education funding. This provsion is essential but the issue recognised by the County Education Officer that there are already more four year olds in Liphook schools’ catchment than places available will be an on-going problem. I am sure we will hear much more on these topics. The ‘ecology’ councillor Carew made as much as he could of the protected species being poorly catered for and fully supported the intention that the SANGS should be put in place ahead of the housing development. We had an issue with Bats in barns, which were prematurely demolished without a licence or ecology inspector supervising the barns coming down. This issue is supported by a Police Incident number. This seem to get some of the Council’s attention. The related SANG application more or less went through on the nod once the 155 housing development had been approved. The Silent Garden case was also cited on the point of principle in the Reserve Housing Allocation, Brislands Lane,Four Marks, development case presented ahead of us. They too had to vote on the principle, which accepted that the development could proceed. We are feeling somewhat deflated and wondering whether there is anything further we could have done or still can do. In the meantime if you have any further thoughts I would welcome it.

Re: Lowsley Farm - EHDC Planning meeting 3rd May - bdavies (8th May 2012 - 16:25:14) Can we not appeal? I struggle to see how this can be sustainable if the local school cannot expand to cope. That means more traffic on the roads to schools outside the area. Who is demanding that EHDC explain what they are going to do about sustainability, infrastructure etc.? We do not have to roll over and accept this.

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