FEARS are mounting in Alresford that up to 70 homes could be built next to Arlebury Park.

Townsfolk are already opposing a scheme featuring 15 homes and a rugby pitch, opening the way for developer Bewley Homes to go it alone.

Town councillors have since agreed to invest up to £10,000 investigating how much it would cost to buy the land via a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).

Bewley Homes said if a deal cannot be done with the town it would continue to promote housing through the Local Development Framework.

Roy Gentry, chairman of New Alresford Town Council (NATC), said he feared Bewley could put in a housing bid without rugby pitches.

“They may well go for a bigger area of land to include one of the rugby pitches, for 60 or 70 homes,” he said. “We may well have put into the landowner’s and developer’s mind that it is a good time to apply for planning permission, but I think they were getting there on their own anyway.”

He added the rugby pitches in the original scheme would have created a buffer against any more than 15 homes being built.

“I still think it’s a good deal and the majority of the council think this but we have got to go through this process,” he said. “I feel frustrated about it but it is reasonable to get all the facts and figures in front of the town rather than guessing at it.”

Andy Morris, strategic land director of Bewley Homes, said: “If they go down that route [a CPO] I don’t expect there’s a lot we can do. I’d like to still work with them but we’re a development company and we’re in the business of building houses.

“This site was earmarked by Winchester City Council some 18 months ago as potentially providing up to 300 homes.

“Clearly if it’s been earmarked by the district council we see the prospect of promoting the site and we will continue to do so.”

Peter Pooley, chairman of The Alresford Society, said the group was against housing on the site.

He said: “We welcome the idea of getting this land for public use but building houses in this sensitive area is too higher price to pay.

Asked about fears the developer would press on regardless, he added: “I don’t think it’s a real threat.

“The town is so opposed to building in that particular area I doubt any planning committee in Winchester would over-ride that.”