25 new homes at Motley Mill in Weyhill plans submitted

The outline planning application, which only seeks approval for access at this stage, has been put forward for land at Motley Mill.

The site is currently an agricultural field with some commercial buildings, and the proposed new entrance would be from the A342 road.

If approved, the new homes would include a mix of affordable and market housing, with 10 affordable homes, mainly one-bedroom flats and two-bedroom houses, and 15 market homes, including two, three, and four-bedroom houses.

A key feature of this proposal is the provision of affordable housing, which is particularly important given that Test Valley Borough Council currently has only 2.76 years of housing land supply, below the required five years.

Drawing from the planning application. (Image: TVBC)

This shortfall triggers the "presumption in favour of sustainable development" under national planning rules.

The site itself is considered sustainable, being close to Weyhill and Andover, with access to public transport and other services.

The planned development also includes public open spaces, tree planting, and landscaping.

The homes are being designed to be tenure-blind, meaning affordable and market homes will look the same.

For the environment, the developer has committed to retaining most of the existing trees and hedgerows on the site, and will introduce bat bricks, swift boxes, and bee bricks as part of their biodiversity strategy.

The proposal exceeds the required 10 per cent increase in habitat and hedgerow units for biodiversity net gain.

However, the site will need off-site credits to offset its nitrogen and phosphorus impacts.

The site is in Flood Zone 1, meaning it is at the lowest risk of flooding.

The access has been redesigned for safety, and parking and turning space for refuse vehicles is included.

Drawing from the planning application. (Image: TVBC)

All homes will have private gardens or shared spaces in the case of flats.

The proposal also includes 45 private parking spaces, five visitor spaces, and cycle storage.

The development is designed to minimise overlooking and maintain privacy for residents.

The proposal aims to help meet the local housing need, particularly for affordable housing, and make efficient use of underused land.

The developers say the loss of a small amount of commercial space is considered acceptable due to the presence of nearby employment areas.

The application has been submitted by Atlas Planning Group on behalf of the landowner and developer.

The site covers an area of approximately one hectare.

If the application is approved, a further application will be required to consider the details of the development, such as the design and layout of the homes.

This is because the current application is an outline planning application, which only seeks approval for the principle of the development and the means of access.

The details of the development will be submitted in a future 'reserved matters' application.

The planning application is currently under consideration by the Test Valley Borough Council and can be viewed at 25/02436/OUTN.