A COMPANY behind plans to build up to 120 homes in Overton has successfully appealed against a decision to refuse planning permission for its development.

De La Rue, which owns the 5.52- hectare site known as Overton Hill, appealed to the National Planning Inspectorate last month after Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council rejected its application.

A hearing was held at the start of January, and this week the Planning Inspectorate released its decision to overturn the council’s refusal and grant permission for up to 120 new homes on the site – 40 per cent of which will be ‘affordable’.

Originally the authority had raised issue with the character and suitability of the location, but the council decided to withdraw these complaints prior to the appeal.

There were also ongoing discussions between the council and De La Rue over infrastructure payments, but the two sides later agreed on a section 106 agreement. However in the Planning Inspectorate’s conclusions, the council suffered a huge blow, with the executive agency dismissing large parts of the agreement.

One clause, in which De La Rue agreed to provide £120,000 for recreational facilities, was scrapped altogether by inspector David Spencer, who said in his report: “There is very little evidence as to how the financial contribution has been calculated and whether the identified projects arise from existing deficiencies rather than a need to respond to additional pressures arising from the appeal proposal.

In this context it is difficult for me to see how the financial contribution of £120,000 sought is necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms.”

Ian Tilbury, borough councillor for Overton, was one of those who attended the hearing and he was disappointed at the conclusions.

He said: “I am not surprised at the result. We all accepted that it would get permission eventually, but the surprise is the way some of the section 106 contributions have been removed.

“De La Rue was happy to pay these contributions and now suddenly the benefits we were going to get from the development have gone. De La Rue could still pay them I suppose but it would only be out of goodwill.”

The Andover Advertiser contacted De La Rue for a statement but a spokesman said: “We cannot comment at this time.”