Planning Application 23/96078

Re-Discharge of outline planning permission O/15/77190 condition 10 and 11 (Landscaping) for minor changes to previously approved details to enable the adjacent landowner to create an agricultural access to the north.

This refers to an application made on behalf of Pembers LLP, the company created for the development of land at Pembers Hill Stud Farm, by Countrywide Partnerships, the new owner of Drew Smith, to facilitate the application of an adjacent landowner.

This is probably the most alarming of the two applications currently running in parallel (23/96033) & 23/96078), and should be read very carefully.

The first, and probably more signifiant point is that the proposed new entrance would see large farm equipment exit the agricultural land totally in opposition to the oncoming traffic moving along Pembers Farm Avenue. Pembers Farm Avenue is currently a 30mph zone and, due to the lack of parking restrictions along it, often has vehicles parked in the road which these large farm vehicles would need to navigate. The plans submitted show a Swept Path Analysis, which appears to try and demonstrate a 10.6m vehicle can leave the proposed exit safely, but by their own admission would cross the oncoming traffic. I have marked an image below to show how I think it would actually look based on the actual site situation.

Official Swept Path Analysis

If this application were approved it would see an increase in large vehicle traffic that wasn’t originally envisaged, not planned for, along Pembers Farm Avenue.

The HSE (Work Right Campaign) claims that agriculture has the highest rate of deaths and injuries of all sectors in Great Britain, whilst moving vehicles are the highest cause of deaths in british farming, accounting for 30% of all fatal injuries in the last 5 years. Now imagine unnecessarily placing that risk running through a small housing development, alongside a children’s play area, and very quickly you have a recipe for disaster.

We know from experience that this land has been satisfactorily farmed by the adjacent farm on behalf of the land owner and without requiring any additional access. In fact the proposed access would more than double to distance to access the land when compared to the current access route.

This year this land was farmed well in to the silent hours, if this were to happen again then we would have large vehicles transiting through the development during the silent hours, not only causing a disturbance to residents but also increase the risk of injury or accident. Drew Smith were prohibited from operating outside of the working hours for this reason.

There is a tree at the top of Pembers Farm Avenue which provides a wonderful vista as you look up towards it. This tree is expected to remain at this stage, however it could be removed to facilitate development at a later stage. There has been an Ecological survey carried out which points out a tree to the edge of the planned site has the likelihood of bats roosting. However they appear to conveniently overlook the tree right next to the proposed entry site.

If you intend to oppose this application, and I urge you to do so, then you must object constructively and on the merits of the application, that is to say whilst we know this application is almost certainly to facilitate the future residential development, the planning committee will not take this in to account when deciding whether to permit, or not. That said, it will do no harm to mention in your objection that you are aware of the wider ambition.

If you raise an objection and subsequently something else comes to mind please do send another update to the Case Officer.

Objections can be made by email to the Planning Case Officer –

Dawn Errington – dawn.errington@eastleigh.gov.uk
Planning Dept. – planning@eastleigh.gov.uk

A guide and model letter for commenting on planning applications can be found here.