Housing scheme on Kings Worthy's Top Field rejected by Winchester City Council after public opposition

Hostile opposition by residents has seen off developer Drew Smith’s proposal to build on land off Hookpit Farm Lane, known as Top Field.

They say the outline plans – up to 50 houses there and a further seven off Springvale Road, with many of them at discount rents – will cause traffic congestion, blot the landscape and strip back open space at Eversley Park.

The scheme falls outside the council’s Local Plan to build 12,500 homes in the district by 2031, including 250 in Kings Worthy – meaning Drew Smith has to prove it has local support. Kings Worthy Parish Council voted against the plans and public consultation returned a preference for other sites.

Marcus Evans, of Hookpit Farm Lane, told Thursday’s planning committee: “All of us understand housing is needed – I’ve got children that need housing, we’re all struggling in terms of the property situation – but as far as the people of Kings Worthy are concerned, I do think the majority of them want to preserve this as a public amenity.

“Most people won’t understand how you can have a planning process like that and then allow something to fall completely outside of that. If we’ve reached our 250 homes then realistically that should be the end of it for the time being.”

Planning officer Jill Lee said Drew Smith failed to meet another condition for making Top Field a ‘rural exception site’: providing 100 per cent affordable housing or proof that this would be financially unviable.

But Neil Holmes, the developer’s planning agent, said officers failed to allow time for his client to meet the conditions and refused to negotiate a contribution of up to £438,000 towards maintenance of play areas and green space.

“We asked for discussion, and on this site you have to balance the community aspirations for open space, which we support, with what the development can finance,” he told the committee. “There is no point in asking a developer to give you £400,000 and 100 per cent affordable houses – it doesn’t work. You can’t start the viability process if your officers refuse.”

Jill Lee (right) presents the outline plans to Winchester City Council's planning committee

Kings Worthy is one of the most desirable villages for people on Winchester’s social housing waiting list, with 115 locals in need and around 800 people listing it as a preferred destination.

“The consultation process did not find Top Field as a preferred site for housing,” Ms Lee added ahead of the committee’s vote to refuse. “This application is trying to circumvent the Local Plan Part Two process and is ignoring the results of that public participation. There is no justification for allowing the development of Top Field going ahead on this basis.”

After the meeting, Mr Holmes suggested Drew Smith were likely to appeal the decision or launch a fresh application.