Wash Water car sales site to be developed for housing

Plans approved after two year battle by family business

A WASH WATER family business finally had plans to redevelop its car garage site for housing approved on Wednesday evening, following a two-year battle.

Proposals for Curridge Car Sales and MOT centre, on the A343/Andover Road, submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council by Roger Butler and his wife Sally, went before councillors with planning officers’ recommendation for refusal.

The application, for four houses, includes 10 parking spaces and new vehicle and pedestrian access on the brownfield site outside any settlement policy boundary.

The planners’ main concern was road traffic noise from the A343 and the possible effects on the health and quality of life of occupants.

However, a recent site visit by borough councillors established that 20 cars along the A343 in 15 minutes did not prove excessive noise levels.

The plans were voted through unanimously after councillors heard that there were no objections from local residents, and strong support from Highclere Parish Council, which was represented on the evening by parish councillor Horace Mitchell, a former chairman of the borough council’s planning committee.

This was after ward councillor John Izett (Con Burghclere, Highclere and St Mary Bourne) also spoke in favour of the application. He said it was “an obvious site for housing”.

“It’s a brownfield site currently used inappropriately and unattractively for car sales,” said Mr Izett, who added that the houses would contribute to urgent Government housing quotas.

On noise levels, he pointed out that the site was set back from the A343 and that many other houses in Highclere were already situated along the Andover Road.

“I’ve been involved for 18 months trying to meet officers’ requirements and it’s seemed unending at times,” he said.

Afterwards, thanking Mr Izett and Mr Mitchell for their help, a relieved Mr Butler, who lives in Burghclere, said the planning process had been “a long, long road”.

Several conditions attached to the approval include developers’ contributions and also relate to a contaminated land risk assessment submitted with the application.

The site was previously used as a petrol station, from around 1961 to 1990.

The assessment stated that soil samples from bore holes should be taken, including near the garage workshop, due to a possible risk to human health and groundwater from any contaminated ground and prior to any development.

The assessment also stated Hampshire County Council had confirmed six underground petrol tanks were filled with concrete slurry in 1980, with no site plan as to the location.

Plans for the site also include the demolition of a workshop and retention of an existing house, Chestnuts, which is currently rented out, and alterations to dormer windows.