THESE homes are not wanted.

That's the defiant message from an action group fighting plans to build 32 homes at Broughton near Stockbridge

Stop Overdevelopment in Broughton says that Linden Homes scheme off School Lane in the village is "a contentious issue" and claims it doesn't have the support of the majority of villagers as claimed by the parish council.

Vice chairman of Stop Overdevelopment (SOIP) in Broughton Harry Paul said: "The selection of School Lane as the preferred site was pre determined at a meeting between Broughton parish councillors, the developers, and others, in October 2012.

"The Council realised that the development would need to appear community led in order to satisfy planning criteria but by community demand Broughton Parish Council were forced into commissioning a proper housing consultation in July 2014.

"The results were verified by Test Valley Borough Council , and no less than 82 per cent of residents wanted a smaller development than the current one proposed, and as for choice of site, only 29 per cent voted for School Lane.

"Is it any wonder there is so much frustration, even anger, over the perceived arrogance of the parish council in not listening to the community and in suppressing proper public debate?"

Mr Paul, himself a former parish councillor, also claims that none of the existing members of the grassroots authority said whether they were in favour of the Hinwood Field site at May's council elections .

"Yet they all claim to represent the community on this hugely important issue," added an angry Mr Paul.
Linden Homes plans includes building twelve homes in the affordable category to meet a shortage of low-cost housing stock in the community. 

Daily Echo:

But Mr Paul and SOIP disagrees and he claims 300 people have signed a petition in a bid to stop the proposals.
"The village does not need 12 more affordable homes. Some time ago, Test Valley Borough Council recommended that building nine affordable homes would meet the needs, but according to the council's housing register, the needs for affordable housing in Broughton has fallen by 70 per cent since October 2012, when this proposal was first discussed.

"It is not only the excessive size of this development that is angering many in the community. It is also the fact that it is greenfield and outside the village settlement boundary.

"Parish councillors claim that the development is needed because the village is 'dying' but nothing can be further from the truth as the community thrives," said Mr Paul, pointing out that the village primary school has a record number of pupils on its roll. 

He concluded that Broughton GP Surgery is already full and fears it wont be able to cope with increased demand if the 32 homes are built.

And he warned of congested roads if the development gets the green light when Test Valley councillors debate the planning application. "Broughton’s roads are full of traffic and many fear that a huge development would further exacerbate this problem especially on School Lane where there is a primary and a nursery school," concluded Mr Paul.

The action group is now urging villagers who are unhappy with the proposals to submit their comments to Test Valley planners.

Nigel Jarvis, Planning Manager at Linden Homes Southern say the firm will listen to input from the community.

Nigel, said:“Given the importance of this scheme for the village, the aim has always been to deliver plans which are shaped by the local community. This has been achieved through months of work alongside the Parish Council and comments received from the community at our design workshop.

“Not only do the plans help to address the village’s affordable housing need, but the landowner, WYG and Linden Homes have worked hard to bring forward a bespoke, high-quality scheme that reflects the character of the village, and also delivers a number of other community benefits.”

Broughton Parish Council chairman Ed James said that three consultation meetings about the proposed development had been held during the last year and the majority of residents supported the plans.