GLADMAN DECISION OPENS THE FLOOD GATES TO approx. 641 dwellings IN MEDSTEAD AND FOUR MARKS  (see table below for more details)

Gladman Appeal Allowed

On 10th April 2024 the Gladman speculative planning application to build 60 houses off Lymington Bottom, Four Marks was approved at appeal. Local residents and action groups, along with the Parish Council tried extremely hard to fight this application but to no avail. A significant aspect in Gladman’s argument was their successful challenge of the Council’s 4-year housing land supply. Without this, then the “tilted balance” in favour of the development is engaged and the Council’s planning policies no longer hold weight. The Council then have to prove that “any adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the development when assessed against the policies of the National framework taken as a whole”. This, in the majority of cases is very difficult to do as was proved here.

The result of this appeal will have significant adverse consequences for the future of both Four Marks and Medstead until our Local Plan is adopted (possibly late 2025 or 2026). The lack of a 4-year housing land supply will make it extremely difficult to challenge the random speculative housing applications that we are seeing. This may result in one field after another being concreted over with yet more high-density housing estates, which devastate local wildlife, destroy village character and introduce hundreds of more vehicles on our roads, which Hampshire County Council appear helpless to deal with. Despite junctions on the A31 being close or near to capacity they continue to allow more and more development.

We will fight every speculative application. We need your support to do this.

Thank you for your all your emails and comments and particularly your 'local knowledge' which helps us and the Planners understand the true situation on the ground.

SMASH TEAM

MEDSTEAD  potential dwelling numbers 

FOUR MARKS  potential dwelling numbers

MEDSTEAD         potential numbers     318                               ( Already had 287 houses developed since 2016)

FOUR MARKS     potential numbers     323                               ( Already had 152 houses developed since 2016)

Combined                        641