Friends of Christchurch Priory plans for land beside Milford community meadow spark community meeting

A PUBLIC meeting has been called amid a surge of objections against plans to build a house on grassland next to a meadow bequeathed to the people of Milford.

The scheme submitted to New Forest District Council has triggered a campaign group – Friends of the Meadow – amid concern about the impact of developing the plot, which is owned by the Friends of Christchurch Priory.

The application sets out that as beneficiary, the Friends would use proceeds from the sale of the site to employ a professional singing coach to work in schools across the area.

Land at Old Milford Meadow, north of All Saints’ churchyard, has been vacant since former owner Diane Gillespie died in 2015.

She left one section of the site to Milford Parish Council to be retained as a community meadow and another area, which forms the application site, to the Friends of Christchurch Priory.

The application has been submitted by Bayview Developments to construct a four-bedroom house on the area of land owned by the Friends.

The scheme includes a detached outbuilding and paddock, and would be accessed from Knowland Drive.

More than 50 local people have opposed the application, arguing the site should be maintained as green space and meadow to benefit the environment and local community.

One objector wrote: “This meadow is a special spot in the village and is enjoyed by all ages within the community.

“My son is at the nursery in the village and they often take the children up there to play and learn about nature and wildlife and they all adore this unique open space and what they learn from it all year round.”

Another added: “There are not enough natural areas for the public to enjoy as it is, without removing a beautiful natural meadow.”

When approached the Friends of Christchurch Priory declined to comment on the application.

The plans said: “The proposed dwelling is set over part two- and part single-storey, with a limited first-floor area constrained by a suppressed eaves and a modest roof pitch, respective of an agrarian building.

“With the modest scale of the building, and with adequate separation distances to all neighbouring uses, there will be no harm to the amenity of neighbouring uses through overbearing, loss of light, or privacy.”

In 2014 Miss Gillespie unsuccessfully applied for planning permission on the site for two link-attached bungalows.

The application was refused on the basis that it would harm the conservation area and two nearby listed properties: the Old House and All Saints’ Church.

The public meeting will take place at All Saints’ church hall on Wednesday 30th November at 1pm.