Developer backs Ox Drove and Walworth Road housing plans

Imperial Homes director Ben Olds has outlined plans for 45 homes at Walworth Road and Ox Drove in Picket Piece.

They include 36 homes north of Walworth Road, five homes at Ox Drove and a further four bungalows.

Mr Olds said the schemes would help ease Test Valley’s housing shortage.

He said: “At the present time TVBC have a circa 50% deficit in their 5-year housing targets, therefore both schemes help to deliver much-needed housing across the open market and affordable housing tenures.”

(Image: Google Maps)

Mr Olds said the Walworth Road application was shaped by extensive discussions before it was submitted.

He said: “The application has been submitted following extensive pre planning negotiations, in terms of density, layout, design, ecology, highways, arborist, landscaping, drainage, environmental housing, conservation and policy.

“During the pre-application process, matters were considered and negotiated in order to formulate a sustainable scheme that would deliver a mixture of open market and affordable houses.”

The 36-home proposal includes 40 per cent affordable housing and sits on land allocated for homes under the wider COM6 Picket Piece development plan.

Mr Olds said the landholding was allocated for housing and the scheme would provide homes in high demand, alongside TVBC’s claimed housing land supply deficit.

He added: “The larger site on Walworth Road will deliver 40 per cent affordable housing, it is an allocated site and therefore already earmarked for housing in the adopted local plan.

“There is some planning history with the site, prior to our involvement, whereby a scheme for circa 70 homes. This application was refused due to density, amongst other factors.

“Our proposal completely changes the tack, with the scheme much more focused on working with the habitat and landscape features to ensure it more seamlessly blends in with the existing built form and habitat.”

Mr Olds also highlighted the two Ox Drove schemes, which would provide three- and four-bedroom homes and bungalows. The five-home scheme was approved on appeal earlier this year, while the four-bungalow application remains under consideration.

He said: “The two applications on Ox Drove will provide a mixture of open market housing, catering for a range of buyers from first-time, family homes to bungalows, arguably a spread over the various market sectors.”

Discussing the planning history of the site, Mr Olds said the original five-home application had been refused locally before being allowed on appeal.

He said: “The original five-unit scheme was refused at local level, but unequivocally approved at appeal, with the planning inspector disregarding all points raised by the members.”

The developer said the second phase had been carefully designed to minimise its visual impact.

(Image: Google Maps)

He said: “The second phase has been carefully designed with bungalows only, so that they are essentially invisible from Ox Drove, moreover, the scheme(s) offer a balanced development, with a mixture of 3 and 4 bedroom houses along with highly desirable bungalows.”

Mr Olds added that all three applications had been developed through discussions with council officers and consultees.

He said: “All of the applications have been subject to positive pre-apps and heavily negotiated with the council’s key consultees in order to create balanced and policy compliant developments.”

He also highlighted the design approach to the Walworth Road application.

Mr Olds said the Walworth Road scheme was designed with the landscape, existing habitat, protected species, trees, ecology buffer zones and recreational space in mind.

Mr Olds said: "The scheme at Walworth Road has been carefully designed considering the landscape first, with specific considerations towards existing habitat, protected species, trees, new ecology buffer zones, and recreational space."

The Walworth Road application, which can be viewed online at Test Valley Borough Council's planning portal by searching 26/01086/FULLN, includes open space, landscaping, a play area and ecological improvements. The Ox Drove schemes also include landscaping and biodiversity measures.