Developer targets Warsash countryside for housing despite council rejecting former proposals

The proposed development site at land off Brook Lane, Warsash. Picture: Bargate Homes

Developer Bargate Homes revealed its proposals for the development to Warsash residents earlier this month.

It would be built on land to the east of Brook Lane.

Fareham Borough Council previously rejected proposals by developers Foreman Homes and Taylor Wimpey for a combined total of 265 homes in the same area.

Bargate’s proposals have come under criticism from residents and ward councillors representing the area, who have labelled developers’ targeting of the area as ‘bizarre’.

Vic Styles of the Warsash Residents’ Association said: ‘The problems with the idea of putting hundreds of homes here is that Warsash is a peninsula and therefore traffic getting in and out of here is always going to be affected by more homes.

‘You add 150 homes here, that’s likely to be an extra 300 cars and both Brook Lane and Lockswood Road are already full of cars at the moment.

‘Our doctor surgeries here are at breaking point. We just cannot take on that level of housing here.’

An exhibition of the plans has already been held.

Councillor Trevor Cartwright, who represents Warsash on the borough council went to the exhibition.

He said: ‘It does seem slightly bizarre to me how developers are looking to get planning on the same plots which are both on countryside land and also not within our local plan.

‘It all comes down to Welborne and Cranleigh Road as developers think our housing numbers for the area don’t align so they dispute the figures.

‘However, we are in the process of extending the plan to 2036 so our housing targets are going to change.’

The proposed 6,000-home Welborne development has been delayed over the past two years while developer Persimmon Homes has appealed to a planning inspector after the council refused permission for 120 homes in the countryside off Cranleigh Road in Portchester.

The appeal takes place next month and its has previously been feared that more countryside would be targeted if the appeal was won.