Denmead Parish Council

I have sent this Email to Denmead Parish Council:

Denmead Parish Council

 Recently the planning officers at Eastleigh Borough Council suggested we take a look at your parish council as you are a 'frontrunner' applying the governments localism bill to planning in your area. Here in Eastleigh ,I imagine, development pressures are on a much grander scale , our council has a goal of almost 10,000 new 'dwellings' before 2026 .

As I said in the meeting the Tory plan of empowering local groups to take hold of the planning decisions impacting them is probably aimed at picturesque ,tory voting, Hampshire villages like yours. Our council has an overwhelming Lib Dem majority who have allowed, in what is a small ex-railway town , 500 new houses or flats every year for the last decade and residents are not happy.

Most of these dwellings have been occupied by migrants into the area, but there has not been job creation or infrastructure investment to match, so existing residents quality of life has inevitably been reduced. Now the council has revealed plans to build vast new housing estates on the ancient landscape of Stoneham Park , which only 10 years ago thier plans had promised to protect. These easily accesible green spaces of parkland , farmland and sportsgrounds are very precious to those living nearby and we are not convinced that the reasons for such vast developments are as benevolent as the council makes out.

Another committee chewing the cud

It is plain to even the most casual researcher that the council itself stands to gain from it's perpetual drive to develop because of land sales, numerous government handouts, S106 and expansion. Whilst residents , voters, will only see longer queues and less open space, we suspect they plan on filling the gaps in thier funding by cashing in on our green spaces. I am hoping that although the places we live in are at different ends of the spectrum we can work together as fellows of Hampshire , we need you to help us understand  how we can use this new legislation to stop the over-development of our area.

Perhaps , if you have the time , you can update us on your situation in Denmead with respect to controlling development through the new legislation.

Thanks in advance

Rigel Jenman of  (inchoate) Eastleigh Local Area Neighbourhood Forum



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