Egmont Nurseries, Warsash: Saga of eight homes comes before a Fareham Borough Council planning meeting - again

Fareham Borough Council will decide on granting planning permission for the development of the former Egmont Nurseries, Brook Avenue next week.

The homes were originally approved in October 2020 before Brook Avenue Residents Against Development (BARAD) brought a judicial review against the planning committee's decision.

The High Court then dismissed the review on all eight grounds in May 2021 and refused BARAD permission to appeal the decision.

BARAD subsequently lodged an application to The Court of Appeal which was dismissed in July this year.

Currently, as a result of revised Natural England guidance, council officers have considered it necessary to bring the application back for further consideration.

The new proposal is essentially the same as previously approved but with a larger development footprint and without a wetland scheme designed to mitigate nutrient pollution - which has an adverse effect on The Solent.

Planning documents state: ‘It is considered that the proposed scheme will not only improve an unsightly derelict site, but will create an enhanced open aspect for the area.

‘This proposal will provide nitrate mitigation by way of nitrate credits that have been reserved with the Hants and IOW Wildlife Trust Scheme at Duxmore Farm on the Isle of Wight.

‘Each of the proposed units would have double garages and generous amenity area and would be separated from each other by hedgerows and landscaping. The houses are all two storeys high, and would be five bedrooms in size.’

The application has received 48 letters of objection from campaigners and residents.

Commenting on the scheme, BARAD member Valerie Wyatt said: ‘This is a new and separate application for full permission for a development with an even larger footprint.

'It remains contrary to policies in the local plan that is currently in place.

'Other sites in countryside areas of Fareham have been refused and this should be refused too.’

The Egmont Nurseries site has attracted developers’ attention since 2015 when a similar application was withdrawn by the council. Two applications in later years failed to obtain planning permission.

The meeting is on Wednesday, October 5.