Lodge Farm

The Borough Council has proposed this site to build 600-900 houses

Lodge Farm is crucial land because it sits on the eastern edge of the Old Basing settlement and Conservation Area and directly abuts the River Loddon.  It’s also the start of countryside extending east to Newnham and Hook: lose this and we are on the fast track to a Basingstoke-Hook city sprawl.

You might ask why you would build over pleasant arable farmland and paddocks that offer space and expansive views for people to exercise in and take the public footpath to Wildmoor and the neighbouring woods. You might wonder why you would choose land that contains a Site of Nature Conservation at Petty’s Brook, a Roman road, listed buildings and trees with preservation orders

That’s what we would lose: what would we gain? Here are just three factors to consider:

  • Homes would suffer the noise and smells of the adjoining sewage and refuse plants.
 
  • Homes with a high flood risk based on previous assessments which climate change may render understated.  
  • The Borough’s summary of this site says: ‘The Inspector also noted that the Environment Agency had objected on the grounds of flood risk and impact on the River Loddon and associated wetlands on biodiversity grounds.  
  • He envisaged major infrastructure would be required, to ensure that the impact on the biodiversity of the Loddon Valley can be mitigated to an acceptable standard, and flood risk concerns could be addressed. He stated that it was difficult to see how this could be achieved based on the information available at that time. This statement is identical to that in the summary for site 003 – and it came from a central Government agency
  • An acute traffic problem with another 2000 or so cars, and 100’s of trade vehicles serving the site.  The only potential access to a main road is through site 001 to the single carriage way A33, already at capacity and with no plans for relief.  Access to Pyotts Hill would encourage ‘rat runs’ across the congested lanes of Old Basing
 
 
 
And, we haven’t even mentioned schools, doctors, or dentists!
 
John Keary

 

 

Hodds Farm
Lodge Farm

Land East of Basingstoke

River Loddon
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