Plans for 46 new homes in Sway given green light by New Forest National Park Authority's planning committee

PLANS to build 46 new homes in Sway - half of which will be affordable - have been unanimously backed by the national park authority's planning committee despite opposition from locals and the parish council.

The scheme in Church Lane, submitted by Hurst and Hurst Estates Ltd, will see the 2.4-hectare site, which is currently used for agricultural purposes, transformed with a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom properties.

The plans, discussed at a meeting of the planning committee today (Tuesday), had been amended to include more fewer bedroom properties to meet local need.

Half the dwellings will remain affordable, with a mixture of social rent and affordable ownership, and will be tied to people in housing need with a local connection.

The plans also include 92 parking spaces and an area of public open space.

Sway Parish Council was against the development and claimed issues around road safety, insufficient parking, poor design and housing density had not been addressed.

The initial application prompted 44 letters of objection from local people raising concerns about the design, safety of the junction, parking, the housing mix and plans for green space.

Following amendments, a further 29 objections where received, including eight from people who had not commented before.

Described as the most significant development in the village for a generation, the plans were recommended for permission by the NPA's planning committee.

The site is included in the NPA’s Local Plan – a keystone document which sets out where major developments should take place within the national park until 2036.

Its allocation for 40 homes is already accepted and the NPA said its must be flexible in considering schemes for more.

Speaking in support of the scheme, NPA member Sue Bennison said: "I think it is a nice scheme; it is going to provide very nice housing for the people who live in there and the open space on their doorstep will be very nice."

Member Richard Taylor added: "The improvement to the open space is to be hugely supported. It is a good scheme, it is well designed and I think the biodiversity aspects are good and the sustainability of the houses is good. I'm very supportive."

Members voted unanimously in favour of the plans.