AN infill development in Winchester has been approved, despite dismay that there will be no affordable housing.

Developer Chris Rees and Alfred Homes applied to knock down four detached houses on 1-4 Woodpeckers Drive, Weeke, and build 19 new upmarket homes, a mix of flats and houses.

The planning committee heard that the high cost of assembling the land had made having affordable housing unviable.

But councillors argued that the scheme should have included an affordable element, either as houses or a payment in lieu.

Cllr David McLean said: “If the builder cannot afford to develop it, don’t develop it. There are things that need to be done by the developer like putting things into the community. Profit is coming before the city.”

Committee vice chairman Jane Rutter agreed: “We are disappointed, shocked and dismayed that there is no contribution to affordable housing for a site that is going to have 19 very high standard, very prestigious homes.”

Cllr Brian Laming said the council needed to review its planning policies: “If you look at planning applications over the last few years, the number of times developers have come back with ‘viability’ issues is ridiculous. It’s frustrating we need to look at how to control this better.”

The committee heard that Alfred Homes would be making a £480,000 Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment.

The proposal attracted seven objectors and two spoke at the planning committee.

Elizabeth King, of 5 Woodpeckers Drive, the only house not involved in the redevelopment, said: “This will have a detrimental impact on the area’s rich ecology. The removal of trees and mature vegetation will have a devastating impact on flora and fauna.

“There will be increased traffic from the development. The traffic report says there will be 66 daily movements, three times the current 24. However, there will be five times the number of houses so there will be 114 (traffic movements) not 66.”

Russell Blackman, of Dean Close, is concerned about overlooking. “Houses will look directly into our living room, a significant loss of privacy. It could be mitigated through the use of roof windows on third floor and the removal of French windows on the second floor.”

Also objecting was the City of Winchester Trust.

Cllr Anne Weir, the local ward councillor, said there had been development by Alfred Homes on four sites, including Meadowlands, 2-4 Salters Acres, now called The Close, and 6 Woodpeckers Drive, all by the same applicant. By having four separate schemes the requirement for affordable housing had been avoided, she said.

She added: “It dramatically changes the character of the area, transforming the entrance into Winchester.”

Cllr Weir said the local property market was doing well with houses selling in two-thirds the time from pre-Covid.

Planning committee chairman Therese Evans said: “The committee is disappointed at the provision of affordable housing. Even though you (Mr Rees) say they are of small size that doesn’t mean they are for people who would normally have affordable housing.”

Planning officer Megan Osborn recommended approval and said: “The developer has worked with the council and as a result has a well-designed scheme fits in with the character of the area both in design and scale.”

Developer Mr Rees said the locality was complicated and it was not possible to have undertaken one single scheme.

Mr Rees said the majority of houses were selling but at lower expectations than 18 months ago.

The committee voted by six to two to approve the scheme.