New Forest District Council approves outline application from Oceanic Galaxy to build 150 homes at Corks Farm, Marchwood

PERMISSION has been granted for 150 new homes in Marchwood despite objections from the parish council and residents.

As reported in the A&T, the application by Oceanic Galaxy proposed a mixture of houses and flats up to three storeys high at Corks Farm, which had been previously been used for agriculture.

The outline application includes a new junction from Admiralty Way and four hectares of public open space.

Fifty-two of the properties are earmarked as ‘affordable’.

Discussing the plans at a meeting of the council’s planning committee yesterday (Wednesday), Cllr Kate Crisell proposed the application be approved following a report from the case officer, who said the scheme would deliver extensive benefits.

Cllr Crisell said although she was not happy with the application, she was unaware of any legal reasons for refusal as the land was included in the council’s strategic plan for 150 dwellings.

She added: “We are in a rock-and-a-hard-place situation.”

The meeting heard how Marchwood Parish Council had objected to the plans amid concerns over road safety.

Letters had also been received from 38 locals who raised concerns over drainage and flooding risk, air pollution, the loss of wildlife and the site’s proximity to a wastewater treatment plant.

Cllr Malcolm Wade agreed that the application would be “really difficult to object to without a cast-iron reason”, due to its inclusion in the strategic plan.

He added: “I do have a lot of sympathy for residents who voted against it [and] I have deep concerns about future traffic and extra HGVs from the freeport and extra developments near there.

“I would like to see a bit more mitigation for Marchwood and its residents.”

The application includes proposed pedestrian improvements in the form of tactile paving and dropped kerbs.

Cllr Hilary Brand urged the developer to consider further measures, saying: “I get that this is a strategic site and our hands are tied, but I would like to see something done by the developers to improve pedestrian crossings – there will be a death there if we don’t.”

Cllr Barry Rickman, who seconded the application, said it was “overall a very good plan and it brings us affordable homes that, my golly, the New Forest needs.”

Members approved the application by 12 votes to one.