Gosport councillor vows to do 'everything possible' to stop planning application for 99 new homes

Plans have been submitted by Bargate Homes for 99 homes on land adjacent to Brookers Lane in Peel Common – six months after submitting an application for 125 homes in land adjacent to Newgate Lane East.

Both sites sit in the strategic gap between Fareham and Gosport, established to prevent the two towns merging.

The application has been submitted to both councils, as the land belongs to Fareham but Bargate Homes needs Gosport’s permission to build a road from Brookers Lane.

Chairman of Gosport Borough Council’s economic development board, Cllr Stephen Philpott, has vowed to fight against the application on behalf of local residents.

He said: ‘As a district and county councillor I am completely opposed to this application and will do everything possible to make sure it doesn't succeed.

‘Under our local plan, development in the strategic gap will not be supported, and the same goes for Fareham Borough Council’s existing local plan.

‘The bottom line is that when this goes to the regulatory board there are strong grounds to refuse the application.’

Bargate Homes’ plans for 99 homes is one property less than suggested at a public consultation in September.

The success of Bargate Homes’ proposed development does not rest solely on planning approval.

Hampshire County Council also has a driving restriction on the land reached from Brookers Lane – which Cllr Philpott says is ‘notoriously difficult’ to overturn.

He said: ‘To allow vehicles to drive on this point the traffic restriction would have to be amended or removed.

‘I recently met Cllr Rob Humby from Hampshire County Council and told him in no uncertain terms where I stand on that.

‘Getting this sort of thing done is very tricky, so I don’t see them being successful in that endeavour.

Bargate Homes was contacted by The News for comment.