Romsey 'bursting at the seams' from development

Romsave has been a long-term opponent of the 1,100-home scheme at Whitenap.

However, more major schemes have been submitted recently including 25 homes, office space and warehouses at Hillier Brentry Nursery, Jermyns Lane; 300 homes in Halterworth Lane; 309 homes at Kings Chase; and a new church on a field near the Esso garage in Greatbridge Road.

Richard Buss, from the campaign group, said: “Romsey is seen as an attractive and prosperous market town with close connections to Southampton, Winchester and is commutable to London. Looking at the majority of the new homes that have been built over the last five years or so, it is clear developers are looking for big profits by selling expensive homes.

“The proposals for both Halterworth and Hilliers appear to me purely for profit rather than the greater good. Neither of them seem to offer any significant benefits for the wider community, as it is Romsey’s infrastructure is already bursting at the seams. 

READ MORE: Hillier Brentry Nursery major plans public consultation held

“GP appointments are difficult and time-consuming to get, the NHS Dental practices are not taking on new NHS patients, and the roads are gridlocked on a regular basis. 

“Without a significant rethink of how Romsey works for its current population, the prospect of 500+ new homes over and above the 1,100 new homes Whitenap is going to deliver in the next few years, does not bear thinking about. 

“Both the Hillier Brentry and Halterworth sites are outside the boundary limits for Romsey and as such are classified as countryside.

“Test Valley Borough Council has a five-year land supply and as there is an emerging Revised Local Plan, we think it unlikely TVBC would consider either application at this point in time.”

Russell Theron, who is on the planning committee for Romsey Town Council, said: "I have worked in housing and witnessed first hand the effects of homelessness and therefore totally understand the need for quality, affordable housing. However, development needs to be done strategically, following the carefully thought out local plan, yet recently this seems to have been totally ignored by developers. Our local facilities such as doctors surgeries, schools, and supermarkets are at a bursting point, not to mention extra traffic to our already congested roads. Romsey is a special close-knit community, which risks being lost if left to the hands of developers.

SEE ALSO: Major Romsey housing plans unveiled for Halterworth Lane

"Developers could argue that they do pay towards local infrastructure via the community infrastructure levy (CIL) which is a charge paid to Test Valley Borough Council on completion of a development. However with Hampshire County Council currently on a journey to bankruptcy, most of the CIL money is being used to 'mop up' the lack of investment by Hampshire County Council for things such as traffic crossings or dropped kerbs.

"Let's have a sensible conversation with developers about what services and infrastructure they will provide first for the residents of Romsey, before any more development is even considered."

Cllr Nick Adams-King said “The applications being made at the moment are entirely speculative. The developers know that the Local Plan process is well advanced and we are close to identifying preferred sites. My suspicion is that they are trying to ‘jump the gun’ with these applications to get their preferred sites ahead of others for consideration.

“That isn’t appropriate in my view, they should be promoting their sites for objective assessment alongside any others put forward. Test Valley, particularly the southern part of the borough, has sufficient housing supply, there is no need for this unseemly scramble to attempt to obtain permission on greenfield sites when there may well be better locations for any new development to be placed.”