Developer hit by third planning refusal for flats on exclusive Barton road

A DEVELOPER has been knocked back in a third attempt to demolish a house in an exclusive road in Barton to make way for flats.

AJ Developments wanted to construct eight apartments at Perhaver in Barton Common Road having already been refused permission for 10 and withdrawing another plan for 12 in 2017.

Every one of the 29 public comments lodged with New Forest District Council for the latest proposal were objections, including from the town council.

Writing on behalf of the 3,200-household New Milton Residents’ Association, Alan Watson said: “Apart from some minor modifications to the proposed plans, it seems that little has dramatically changed to the objections that we made to earlier applications for this site.

“Barton Common Road is a unique road with a particular character which needs to be retained and any further development of this road will seriously damage those characteristics.”

Another opponent added: “I am at a loss to understand why such a building is even being considered in an area that holds such beauty and does not under any circumstances resemble the suggested flats.

“It is an unnecessary installation of outlandish, greedy and disproportionate development that seems to be sweeping through Barton-on-Sea at the moment.”

As reported in the A&T, the 10-flat design was unanimously blocked by NFDC’s planning committee in August as an “outrageous” addition to an “iconic” road.

The subsequent Arts and Crafts-style scheme was promoted by AJ Developments as one that “respects the character and pattern of development in the area without harming the amenity of neighbouring properties”.

Planning officers disagreed, however, and concluded it would affect the setting of two neighbouring properties.

An NFDC report said the “proposal constitutes an over development of the site of excessive bulk and massing with little space to properly integrate the development into its setting”.