Warnings over plans for 400 new homes in Andover countryside

Dozens attended consultation events at Picket Twenty Community Centre and Winton Community Academy on Tuesday, May 19, to view Catesby Estates’ outline proposals for the first phase of a wider 1,400‑home allocation on the southern edge of Andover.

The Bere Hill site sits below Ladies Walk and could see around 400 “sustainable energy‑efficient” homes, a mix of one to four‑bedroom properties with 40 per cent affordable housing, plus new green space and paths.

Darren and Stephie Cooper accept that new houses must be built, but called for protections for Ladies Walk (Image: Newsquest)

Darren Cooper, from Winton Chase, said he and his wife Stephie felt “resigned” to the homes but warned protections for Ladies Walk must be nailed down.

Darren said: “As far as legal protections go, we need to have firm controls from the planning authority to protect Ladies Walk, because once it goes, it goes.”

Stephie added: “Ladies Walk is so lovely, so it is nice to see there is a plan for a good buffer nearby to protect it. It’s a really good place to go for your mental health. And there is some really rare wildlife and stunning trees.”

The site itself has no formal wildlife designation but lies close to Ladies Walk Down Local Nature Reserve (about 0.1km away) and the Churchill Way – London Road Verges Local Wildlife Site (about 0.4km), both of which the developer says will be buffered from the new homes.

Catesby says it will deliver at least a 10 per cent net gain in biodiversity, creating new woodland, scrub, hedgerows and wildflower grassland to provide better habitat for hazel dormice, bats, birds and common reptiles.

Others said the scheme would eat into precious green space.

Jennie Jones expressed concerns about the loss of rare wildlife (Image: Newsquest)

Jennie Jones, from Winton Chase, said: “I appreciate that people have to live somewhere, but there is rare wildlife – deer, badgers, foxes. I’m not impressed. It’s our last piece of green space, we’re already flooded with developments in Augusta Park and Picket Twenty.

"I can’t see anything positive – why has it got to go there with Ladies Walk? Town building is swallowing small villages.”

The consultations also revealed that no new sports pitches are proposed on the site, with Catesby arguing that Picket Twenty Recreation Ground is nearby and the landform is not suitable, instead promising a mix of informal and semi‑natural green spaces and play areas.

Residents angage with Catesby (Image: Newsquest)

Vehicle access would be via a new roundabout on the A3093, with an additional “sustainable” pedestrian and cycle access to the south using an emergency route that ties into existing footpaths and cycleways.

Catesby says the scheme will be backed by a Travel Plan to cut single‑occupancy car journeys, and a full Transport Assessment with the outline application will look at safety, accessibility and junction capacity.

The site would be “fully permeable” for walking and cycling, linking into public rights of way and the footbridge over London Road, and Micheldever Road would form a key “active travel corridor” for the wider allocation.

Despite this, some residents said they remained unconvinced.

Alistair Smith said 'the infrastructure is not there' (Image: Newsquest)

Alistair Smith, from Winton Chase, said: “The infrastructure is not there. This is just one development of a larger plan. I appreciate the need for more affordable housing, but the amount of green space being taken up is questionable – just look at Picket Twenty.

“I can’t see plans for access through the park or to the schools; it seems they haven’t thought about walking and how to get to secondary school."

Residents also voiced anger that buses have been cut back in older parts of Andover while new estates appear to get better links, against a backdrop of wider Hampshire bus service changes.

Ms Jones said: “They are neglecting what is already there. And there are not enough doctors’ surgeries. Doctors should take priority, Andover cannot cope.”

Nigel Hodgson, from Pearman Drive, said: “At the moment, there are no plans for secondary schools, and this will put pressure on the infrastructure. We have grandchildren, so this is a concern of ours. There is a plan for a primary school, but they just closed down Smannell, so I don’t really see the point, when we need a new secondary.

“With Picket Twenty, they said they would build things like pubs, but then they just built flats. They haven’t published a lot of details, they could do with being a bit more transparent.”

Some residents were also unhappy that, while Catesby and its consultants attended, they did not see borough or county councillors present.

Andrew Scott asked 'where is the council?' (Image: Newsquest)

Andrew Scott, from Winton Chase, who has lived in Andover for 29 years, said: “My first point is, where is the council? They just had our votes, but now they are not interested.

"There are a lot of questions we ask where the answer is ‘oh that’s the county council, oh that’s the borough council, oh that’s the bus company’ but they aren’t here today.

“We really needed the council and the bus company here today. For medical provision, surgeries cannot cope. Is this development going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? The fact that there were no councillors here is disrespectful to us as voters. I’ve been told only one town councillor came.”

Alongside the criticism, some residents accepted that Andover needs more homes – but urged councillors and developers to get the details right.

Mo Zaman says 'the trick is to find the balance between the number of houses and the density' (Image: Newsquest)

Mo Zaman, from Palmer Drive, said: “I understand that people have a need for housing, as did we, but the trick is to find the balance between the number of houses and the density.

"All we saw today was an illustration of what could happen, but this doesn’t necessarily represent what is to come. I totally agree with the idea of new housing, but it needs to be done right.”

Mr Cooper said Picket Twenty offered a mixed picture.

“People need homes; it is a shame that these areas have to be built on, but clearly it is going to happen. Picket Twenty gives us a little bit of confidence; it looks like they’re not trying to cram in loads of houses,” he said.

Katie Yates, director at Catesby (Image: Newsquest)

Bere Hill forms part of allocation NA6 in Test Valley Borough Council’s emerging Local Plan, which earmarks the wider area for up to 1,400 homes, a new primary school and substantial green space as the authority tries to meet sharply higher government‑set housing targets and a significant housing shortfall.

Katie Yates, a director at Catesby, said: “We’ve been listening and engaging, the main concerns we have heard are about the highways, Ladies Walk, and the provision of education and medical practices.

"We’ll collate all the feedback and circulate it with our consultation team. We anticipate an outline planning application to be submitted later in the summer.”