PLANS to build a new brewery near Bishop's Waltham have angered residents who are concerned it will cause traffic problems and take up green space.

At a public consultation on Monday (January 12) Upham Brewery bosses displayed plans for a new custom-built two-storey factory which will allow for the company's expansion plans.

The firm, which at present employs five full-time members of staff, is currently based in agricultural buildings at the farm on the junction of Stakes Lane and Cross Lane.

Plans to move across the field to Winchester Road, with access from Ashton Lane, means the company can still access the area's water - something they say is imperative to the unique taste of their products.

But locals said they are worried the new site will cause problems on an already-busy road, decrease house prices and potentially give developers a "green light" to build on the rest of the green field.

Mark Braund, who lives with his family at Durley House opposite to where the factory will be located, said: "I believe in economic prosperity but not when it impacts on local residents who have invested in the area.

"I'm really concerned about the traffic coming in and out of the access and they'll be coming through very fast.

"There will be an economic impact on anyone who has bought a house in the area too. It's a factory, one that makes beer, but a factory with all the smells that go with it."

Another local resident, who asked not to be named, said: "It's just open fields. I'm sure there are other places it could go. It's going to be nearly 30 feet high - that's very tall in a big open space."

The planning consultant, John White, said another consultation will be held for Bishop's Waltham residents in the coming weeks.

He said: "The business is expanding and the present premises doesn't allow for expansion. One of the critical elements is the water. They have already got a borehole and we're going to drill a new one.

"Moving closer to the road will improve access and build a bespoke building which will be environmentally friendly, including solar panels and its own water supply, to make it a self-sufficient building."

The head brewer, James Stephenson, said the new building will allow the company to expand up to five times its current rate of output.

Upham Brewery currently produces around 5,000 hectare litres - approximately 12,000 casks a year.

Once the team is fully moved and the machinery is up and operational Upham will be able to produce around 25,000 hectare litres or 60,000 casks per year.

If planning permission is granted Mr Stephenson hopes they will begin to move into the site as early as autumn.

"It will be an organic growth of volume," he said.

"We need to get an efficiency of scale before we can make any plans in terms of bottling, but the idea is to grow around five fold over a period of three to five years."

A second consultation will be held for Bishop’s Waltham residents on Thursday, February 5, at the Jubilee Hall from 6.45-8.15pm.