Facts

If you would like to delve deeper into the detail of Eastleigh Borough Council’s proposals, we thought these facts would be helpful:

Options B and C – ‘North of Allbrook, Bishopstoke and Fair Oak’ (view map here and developers Highwood and Drew Smith’s proposal here) – is proposed to comprise:

• 5,500 new homes
• To give some perspective, this new development will be over 3.5 times the size of Colden Common (1,706 dwellings in 2011), or twice the size of Bishop’s Waltham.
• No more than 30% of the homes would be required to be “affordable”, according to documents already published by EBC.
• A new major link road – the so-called North Bishopstoke link road – connecting these developments with junction 12 of the M3, will run across the B3354, across Bishopstoke Lane and through Highbridge.
• The current proposal says the railway bridge at Allbrook would not need to be improved but evidence clearly suggests otherwise.

All representations made in response to EBC’s Local Plan consultations in February 2016 can be viewed here.

If options B and C are built, below are some examples of what will be impacted:

• The South Downs National Park
  • Option C proposes building right up to the National Park boundary.  The South Downs National Park Authority expressed concern about this change in their representation to the public consultation.
• 1 Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the River Itchen.
  • The new road will go across the SSSI.
  • Many tributaries of the Itchen flow from countryside that would be in option B. Developing this area would risk polluting the river. (The Test and Itchen Association and Otterbourne Conservation Group both expressed concerns in the public consultation.)
• 1 Special Area of Conservation, the River Itchen.
• 7 Sites of Ancient Natural Woodland: Stoke Park Wood, Crowdhill Copse, Upper Barn Copse, Hill Copse, Park Hills Wood, Hall Lands Copse and Tippers Copse.
  • While it is unlikely the woods would be built upon, Upper Barn Copse would no longer be separated from Crowdhill Copse (and Stoke Park Woods) by fields, bridleways and hedgerows – rather by housing and the new link road.
  • Surrounding Stoke Park Woods with housing would also impact its ecology and character.
  • The proposed North Bishopstoke link road is also likely to impact Otterbourne Woods.
  • The Woodland Trust not only expressed concern about these plans in the public consultation in February 2016, they also campaigned to encourage their members and supporters to make representations.
  • The Woodland Trust has called the latest proposals “devastating for local wildlife populations”.
• 5 Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation.
• 7.4 miles of country footpath and bridleway, which would become routes through housing estates – or roads.
• The fish farm at Stoke Park, an important UK fishery businesses.

Results from the public consultation in February 2016 are especially revealing:

• Option A (smaller developments spread across the borough): 94 opposing; 60 supporting.
• Option B (North of Bishopstoke): 467 opposing 16 supporting.
• Option C (Mortimers Lane, joined to Option B): 125 opposing; 9 supporting.
• Option D (Allington Lane): 57 opposing; 45 supporting.
• Option E (West End): 39 opposing; 20 supporting.
• Option F (Botley): 71 opposing; 28 supporting.
• Option G (Hamble airfield): 260 opposing; 23 supporting.
• Option H (Chickenhall and Riverside): 12 opposing; 86 supporting.