PLANS for a new roundabout and access road in Fordingbridge have sparked concerns over the loss of an area of greenspace as well as pollution concerns.
Fordingbridge Town Council’s planning committee held an extraordinary meeting to discuss an application by Pennyfarthing Homes Ltd for a residential development, change of use of land to Alternative Natural Recreational Greenspace and other on-site infrastructure at Whitsbury Road.
The plan for the Whitsbury Road site
Whitsbury Road (site 17) is earmarked for development in New Forest District Council’s Local Plan.
As part of the plans a new roundabout on Whitsbury Road would be created and a bridge across Sweatford Water as well as crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.
A development for 400 homes is being proposed for the site but the application before the town council was to comment on the access at this stage.
Loss of greenspace area
The meeting heard the roundabout would be at the access to the Augustus Park development which Councillor Diane Paton stated would take away some of the Alternative Natural Recreational Greenspace (ANRG) recreational area already provided.
Cllr Paton said her main issue with the application was the loss of this land and there should be further land given in mitigation.
Concerns over safety and pollution
She was also concerned about the safety of children using the play park and ANRG due to the close proximity to the road.
With the previous Augustus Park development, she said, the council were concerned about people having to cross the road to get to the area of recreational land
She said: “Now we are going to have not only people crossing the road but having to negotiate a roundabout as well.”
She suggested moving the road over further and pointed out there would be a sewage holding tank near to the rear of a property in Avonmeade.
The impact of traffic fumes on children’s health was a concern for Councillor Anna Wilson as well as the impact on the environment. She was disappointed that no trailway had been included in the plan, which was a vision for the town in the future.
Concerns have been raised by the public over the impact on infrastructure, traffic, and safety as well as the impact on existing Augustus Park residents.
The roundabout
Councillor Alan Lewendon felt the drawings of the roundabout did not give a picture of what it will look like or the design of the bridge.
Cllr Paton said that it was understood the road would go out onto the Salisbury Road but she would like to “know for certain” that it would go out to the A338 “otherwise there would be no point”. Cllr Goldsmith said a roundabout going out on to the Salisbury Road would take the traffic away from the town centre, which Cllr Paton said was needed.
She called for the town council to push NFDC to make it a condition that this infrastructure be put in place before further development.
And Cllr Paton said the footpaths linking the schools were also “not adequate” but said one was due to be upgraded with the Metis Homes Burgate Acres site.
Councillor Mike Jackson said the area where the bus service would be run was “totally unsuitable” and could “denigrate” the road service and make the problems worse.
He also stated that the highways issues needed addressing.
The town council's decision
Councillors voted to recommended refusal with the final decision being made by New Forest District Council.
It was felt there was inadequate information and detail regarding the Whitsbury Road access in particular in relation to the bridge as well as concerns about the roundabout not connecting to the A338 and, if it does, concerns over the timing of the construction of that road.
Councillor Edward Hale said: “We’re putting a roundabout that doesn’t actually lead anywhere at the moment. We need to know what is going to happen at the other end of that road.”
He said other details needed to be agreed about cycle routes and footpaths before this could be considered for approval.
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