APPROVAL has been given for a derelict garden centre to be replaced by seven affordable houses in a Winchester suburb.

Vivid Homes and owner John Waterfield applied for permission for the glasshouses of the former Sparkes business site and a row of garages.

Some eight objections were received from residents in Mount View Road who have complained about overlooking and overdevelopment.

Neighbour Roger Farthing said the scheme would impact on his privacy and quality of life, adding: “It is out of character and will add nothing positive".

Oliver’s Battery Parish Council also objected, Cllr David Kirkby said the scheme was over-development of a small plot.

He raised the issue of the loss of parking which has been used by the nearby parade of shops for many years and that their loss would affect their viability.

He added: “The owner has sought for 10 years to redevelop for residential. Allowing the building to become derelict has been helpful to this end.”

City councillor Brian Laming said he was worried about the dangers of traffic accessing Oliver’s Battery Road with poor sightlines, although with the loss of the informal public parking the number of vehicle movements will decrease.

Jason Murphy, architect with Vivid Homes, said of the informal parking: “The fact people have used it is a benefit but it is private land and it could be taken away at some point.”

Councillors raised the issue of why the site had not been marketed for other commercial or community uses. Planning officer Verity Murphy said: “The viability report said it was extremely unlikely to be able to be used for another commercial use, and given the impact of Covid-19 on the retail industry. I don’t think there is a reasonable prospect for any other use other than residential.”

But Cllr Ruffell said it should have been marketed: “If you hide something away and don’t tell anyone about it and only local people will know about it. If you market something nationwide someone might come along with a new way of building green houses so it works."

Cllr Jane Rutter said: “We know how desperate we are for affordable housing in Winchester district. It’s a sustainable site.”

Cllr Laming said: “There is no evidence of marketing. I struggle with how you get out of the site because of the hedges, they are extremely high and visibility is poor. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

But councillors voted by five votes to two to approve the scheme.