A developer has been sent back to the drawing board as he tries again to build 14 homes in Warsash – all because of an oak tree.
The land between 75 and 77 Church Road is within an undeveloped gap on the east side of Church Road near Warsash Common and Hook-with-Warsash CE Academy.
The first proposal from developer Phillip Lucas of Glen Estate Ltd was for 24 homes. This was rejected at appeal before he tabled plans for 20 homes. This has now been further reduced to 14, including five affordable homes.
The land is part of Fareham’s local plan which means it is an agreed site for development. The proposal came before Fareham Borough Council’s planning committee because of five written objections. They included lack of plans for managing woodlands and vegetation, highway safety for pupils travelling to and from the nearby school and the felling of an oak tree.
Members discussed sacrificing the oak tree at the front of the site for a home.
Councillor Gemma Furnival (Lab, Fort Fareham) said she didn’t want to see the tree go but wanted affordable housing for residents. Councillor Stephen Ingram (Con, Fort Fareham) said: “I would rather lose a house than lose a tree”.
Council officer Paul Johnston said there was nothing wrong with the 75-year-old, C-grade oak tree but he took the view that one tree was being lost to get one more home. He said there were many other trees on the site, with replacement trees and vegetation in the plans.
In the end, council members voted to defer the application reference P/22/0450/FP to a later date and asked the developer to redesign plans to protect the tree.
Plans for the site include two, two-bed flats, two, three-bed semi-detached houses, one, three-bed detached home and nine, four-bed, detached houses.
The council members praised the affordable housing plans which are made up of three, three-bed affordable rent, one, two-bed shared ownership and one, one-bed adapted wheelchair-accessible home for social rent.
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