PARISH councillors in Colden Common have attacked plans for 70 new homes, arguing it goes against its long-term housing strategy.

Village residents gathered on Monday to object to the development, on land off Highbridge Road, with some stating the development would be “harmful” to the village’s strategy.

Cllr Pam Glasspool said: “This seems to go against the views of the local community and it goes against local and national policies.”

Cllr Val Evans said: “In 2012 we discovered we had to have 250 houses built in the village, and Winchester asked landowners to identify any proposals they might like to put forward.

“Last year they asked us to set up a small consultation process, and as part of that, we engaged with residents, and a lot of people participated in that process.

“The first part was take issues presented by Winchester City Council which eliminated a number of places.

“We had to come up with some sort of strategy. There were three sites: Sandyfields; Clayfields; and land adjacent to the mobile home park, which were chosen.

“This site was the one least favoured for development in the village.”

Cllr Ann Brown said: “I feel quite cross that we’re even discussing it now. What was the point of all that work? We don’t need any more houses.”

Resident Rob Pickett said: “I’m very concerned about this rather clever proposal by Welbeck [the developer].

“I think it’s a very dangerous precedent to let them build on that site.”

Frank Glasspool, of Spring Lane, said: “I’m relatively new to the village, but I would fully support the parish council sticking to the views that the public wanted.”

Welbeck strategic planning manager, Charlotte Robinson, said in a statement: “Colden Common is a location which Winchester City Council has identified for growth to meet its housing needs, and the submission of our application for The Parklands is the culmination of two years of detailed master planning and community consultation.

“We have actively engaged with local residents and key stakeholders and the submitted scheme has, where possible, taken on board their comments, including the creation of an extensive area of parkland which would be of benefit to all existing and future residents of Colden Common to use.

“Whilst this is an outline planning application, we are committed to ensuring the design is sympathetic to Colden Common and creates an attractive development in which people will choose to live.”