MICHELDEVER Parish Council has repeated its supported for plans for affordable housing on a former garage court in the village, but the scheme continues to be opposed by neighbours.

Winchester City Council has submitted an application to demolish the garages in Southbrook Cottages and construct a two-storey development containing four one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments within a two-storey building which will all meet Passivhaus standards.

Passivhaus is the leading international low energy, design standard. Over 65,000 buildings have been designed, built and tested to this standard worldwide.

On July 8 the parish council has now published a notice clarifying how the application will be decided and how people can comment, but it also repeated its support for the scheme.

The authority said: “The parish council have decided, after improvements were made to the parking provision at Southbrook Cottages, to comment in support of the planning application due to the need for small, affordable homes for local people.”

A Housing Needs Survey report last year identified 20 households with local connection to Micheldever parish who have been assessed by the city council as needing rented social housing; 12 of these require 1 bed properties and 5 require 2 bed properties, whilst 3 need larger properties.

But the scheme has been criticised by residents, with many writing to the city council to object to the scheme and a petition with various names submitted.

During a consultation last year, site neighbours expressed concerns over parking and the loss of privacy.

The council has since tried to appease residents by introducing more parking spaces in the street, but concerns remain.

Site neighbours Amanda Hall and Richard Odam said: “I appreciate you are trying to appease residents in increasing the current car parking in the street. The additional parking will relieve the current situation, however, with the development of additional dwellings, the street will be more congested than it is currently.”

They added: This design is hideous and not in keeping with the village. One would assume construction of a traditional dwelling in keeping with the village would be a more acceptable. The development of a tin roofed dwelling will be a blot on the landscape as it looks more like an industrial unit. It would surely be more in keeping in a less rural setting.”

The council’s planning website listed an internal target date for a decision to be made as July 15, but no outcome has yet to bee made.