Plans green-lit for former post office to be demolished for four new homes

Developer Andy Phipps of Alderbury Homes Ltd has been granted permission to redevelop the former post office site in Winchester Road, Waltham Chase.

The post office and Premier shop have been left empty since October 2021, with the first-floor flat above unoccupied since 2022. The building, surrounded by hoardings, will now be demolished to make way for two detached and two semi-detached homes with access and parking.

Access for all four homes will be from Winchester Road where two semi-detached, two-storey, two-bedroom houses with parking, sit fronting Winchester Road. At the rear of the site are two detached, three-bedroom chalet-style bungalows, with garages and access from Winchester Road.

After much discussion, the Winchester City Council planning committee approved the plans seven to one.

Objections to the plans from 11 villagers and Shedfield Parish Council included worries about a lack of turning space, inappropriate parking and access, the design not being appropriate, too many houses for the plot and they also said developers hadn’t explored keeping the building for commercial use.

Committee chair Councillor Jane Rutter (Lib Dem, The Wortheys) said there was a need for a proper crossing to accommodate children and families walking to school and she hoped that would be pursued by Hampshire County Council.

During the meeting concerns about wildlife and flooding were discussed. To deal with wildlife concerns the panel added a condition to the planning approval to include bird bricks, bat boxes and hedgehog holes.

Slow worms, a protected species now found on the site because the land has become overgrown, will also be protected during the slow clearance of the site and the house build.

A council officer told the meeting that Southern Water will invest in plans for the village in the next five years. Councillor Danny Lee (Green, Central Meon Valley) said there was no urgency for them to do so and he had seen flood water running through the village and sewage coming up through the drains.

He agreed it is not in the council’s gift to sort the problem of flooding but he said: “We shouldn’t be adding more houses to a problem and expect residents to take the pain.”

Cllr Rutter said: “We cannot stop it raining and it’s an insufficient reason to refuse planning. We cannot use planning law and in particular, this small development to beat Southern Water over the head, despite the fact they might need beating over the head to improve the drainage and everything else of the whole area.

“We will be providing four new affordable homes and what is proposed is within the character of the area.”

The panel agreed that while eight car parking spaces were provided, it was hoped sustainable transport including cycling would be used.

After the post office at the Premier closed, it moved to Waltham Chase Village Stores.