New Forest District Council grants permission for Pennyfarthing Homes to construct a link road on land north of Augustus Avenue and west of the A338 Salisbury Road

A LINK road to join new housing developments in Fordingbridge has been approved by New Forest District Council, with work expected to start later this month.

Pennyfarthing Homes applied to the council to construct the road on land north of Augustus Avenue and west of the A338 Salisbury Road, which forms part of NFDC’s allocated strategic site 18.

The two-way vehicular link would connect the company’s new housing developments at Whitsbury Road and Augustus Park with the A338.

A report to members of the council’s planning committee, who met last month to discuss the plans, said: “The site forms a narrow strip of land sufficient in width to accommodate the new road together with any necessary land raising.

“The junction to the south will be formed via a narrowed single track width chicane where it crosses footpath 83, and then connecting with the existing estate road serving Augustus Park, known as Augustus Avenue. The junction to the north-east onto the A338 will be formed by a new roundabout.”

The details of both junctions were included in a previous hybrid application submitted to the council, however the road in the centre part of the site was shown only in outline form.

The application was recommended for approval by Fordingbridge Town Council alongside Go South Coast, which runs the local bus service in the area, but said it would need to consider changes to timetables, routes and additional stops.

The council received 47 letters of complaint from locals with concerns over road safety, an increase in traffic and the impact on wildlife.

The report added: “Notwithstanding the number of objections submitted, officers are of the view that all material considerations have been taken into account to minimise impact particularly during construction periods.

“None of the other issues raised relating to wildlife, listed buildings and environmental impact are sufficient to withhold planning permission.

“Whilst there will be a change to the nature and character of the road serving Augustus Park, it was built physically to act as a link road and it was publicised as such in the Local Plan prior to any of the dwellings on Augustus Park being purchased.”

Members of the committee agreed and voted unanimously in favour.