Minister blocks barracks scheme

Communities secretary Hazel Blears has refused a series of appeals from Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd over housing-led proposals for the former Queen Elizabeth ll Barracks site at Church Crookham in Hampshire.

The major proposals involved up to 1,000 dwellings - including live-work accommodation - as well as a site for a primary school, church, a medical centre, community facilities including a skateboard/BMX park and a local shopping centre.

An inspector had recommended that two of the appeals should be allowed and one allowed in part.

The decision letter from Blears accepted that the schemes would bring considerable community benefits but she voiced concern over the appropriateness of the split decision recommendation (partly prompted by land swap proposals) and the suggested planning gain.

Her letter concluded: "The balance lies in favour of refusing the current appeals so that these matters and the defects in the planning obligations can be reconsidered as part of any new scheme which may be submitted following this decision."

Councillor Richard Appleton, Hart District Council’s cabinet member for planning and regulation, said: "The Secretary of State had agreed that some form of informal open space was appropriate for the south east corner of the site. However, she had then said that the 150 houses lost should be redistributed throughout the site.

"We have spent 350,000 GBP fighting this as well as 50,000 GBP in officers' time.

"Building houses appears to override all other Government policies - in particular their plans to give local communities more power over their neighbourhoods.

"If the developer was to resubmit a planning application we would want to make sure it was of the highest quality of design. We could not re-open any of the issues that the Secretary of State has already decided."

Read the Secretary of State's decision letter

Read the Hart District Council press release

Roger Milne

8 August 2008