Milford campaign group aims to slash Pennyfarthing Homes’ village development plan

MILFORD residents have formed a campaign group calling for a developer to slash the number of homes planned for the village edge.

Pennyfarthing Homes wants to build 190 homes on fields adjoining Manor Road in a scheme which Milford Residents for Sustainable Development has called “the most significant in the village for half a century”.

MRSD wants to see the number of homes proposed in the outline scheme almost halved to 110.

Spokesperson Trevor Watson said the 20-strong group of neighbours was focused on engaging with the district and parish council to develop a scheme the whole community could support.

He said: “There are many people in Milford who do not want development of any kind – but that is not our argument. We realise that this land will be developed for housing, and we want to ensure it is an appropriate scheme that will meet the needs of the village.”

Describing the group as an evolution of a previous community campaign organisation SLAM (School Lane and Manor Road), Mr Watson called the current plan for 190 homes a “gross overdevelopment”.

He continued: “We want to see a scheme that is aesthetically appropriate and at a density that will work for Milford – we are also determined that the provision of affordable housing should not be eroded. It must stay at 50% of the development.”

As reported by the A&T, the application by Pennyfarthing sets out details for the development of the 11.9-hectare site with a range of one to five-bedroom affordable and market dwellings.

Access would be via three points along Manor Road, with a pedestrian entrance on Lymington Road and a network of cycle and walking routes throughout the site.

So far the scheme, which will be decided by NFDC’s planning committee in the autumn, has prompted 247 objections as well as being opposed by Milford Parish Council.

The land was allocated as a housing site for at least 110 homes in NFDC’s Local Plan, which sets out where major housing developments can take place outside the national park until 2036.

However, campaigners point out that the government abolished its mandatory target of building 300,000 new homes a year in December 2022.

MRSD member Gill Watson added: “Within the group we have people with quite specialist experience in the environment and other areas. We are gathering information before we take the campaign to a much wider audience.

“We will challenge Pennyfarthing Homes on the appropriateness of this plan, and hope we can have a constructive dialogue about what the village wants.”

In addition to concerns over density, design and access, campaigners also claim the proposal scheme would damage the veteran oak trees which line Manor Road.

Mr Watson added: “The sheer volume of housing will create a negative impact on the wildlife corridor that exists around Lymington Road, Manor Road and Barnes Lane.”

To contact Milford Residents for Sustainable Development, email milford.residents@outlook.com