Planners approve new homes amid "perfect storm" for neighbours in Kings Worthy

City councillors on the planning committee approved the scheme for Boyne Rise in Kings Worthy but said they had sympathy for local people who had suffered "a perfect storm" with several developments in recent months.

On Boyne Rise, the unnamed applicant wants to knock down a house and build two three-bedroom houses and one four-bed home. A plan for four homes was rejected by planners and also turned down on appeal on February 2018.

Cllr Jane Rutter, who represents the village, told the planning committee: "I feel for the local residents. There have been two large developments, in Springvale Road, and now one of 13 houses ongoing. They are in a perfect storm of development. They are rightly very concerned at what is going to happen at the top of the close."

Cllr David McLean said he thought there was a lack of visitor parking and so cars would clog the highway. "For the poor people living around it it will be absolute blight."

Planning officer Megan Osborn said the plan had addressed the issues that had concerned the planning inspector at appeal including the reorientation of the houses on the site.

John Hearn, planning agent for the developer, said: "The proposal is designed to address the concerns of the inspector.. Because there are fewer dwellings there will be less cars and less disruption. The dwellings are set further away from the public footpath."

He said the design used traditional materials but had the crisp modern stamp of work by Winchester-basedT2 Architects.

There had been 17 objections to the proposal including Kings Worthy Parish Council, who cited narrow access of emergency vehicles, problems with bin storage; and the lack of visitor parking on site.

Other objections said the design and appearance was not in keeping with the village and that site would be cramped.

This time the planning officers recommended approval and the committee agreed by eight votes to one abstention, Cllr McLean.