Planning approval has been granted for the development of land north of Cooks Lane, Totton, Hampshire, for 196 homes.

New Forest District Council planning committee gave permission for the scheme comprising 69 affordable and 127 market homes, subject to the completion of a section 106 legal agreement.

The development site comprises part of Strategic Site Allocation SS1, land north of Totton, and will see a significant piece of the allocation, adjoining the existing urban area of the Calmore residential community at the northern end of Totton, brought forwards in a sustainable manner that will meet needs across the local demographic with affordable homes, smaller homes to help people get on the ladder, downsizing units and family homes of various sizes.

The greenspace through the site will deliver sustainable connectivity from the existing urban area to other parts of the allocation which are yet to be brought forwards. It will  provide access for existing and future residents to open areas and attractive woodland walks that they currently have no access to, and enable the development of a sustainable, permeable community.

The application was the subject of lengthy discussions and collaborative working with officers and, as officers confirmed at the committee meeting, represents a well-considered and highly sustainable development which will be deliverable in a manner that is locally distinctive and respects its location on the northern edge of Totton.

The parameter plans and indicative masterplan demonstrate the thorough and detailed consideration given to how the development could come forward and how it responds to its existing built and natural context.

The development will comprise an attractive extension to the settlement and one which bridges the gap between the built environment and the natural environment on the edge of the settlement and having regard for the broader extent of the strategic allocation, fosters the right connections in the right places to deliver a healthy community that will support sustainable means of travel and an active lifestyle for residents.

The council recognised the significant social, environmental and economic benefits which would arise from the development and that the scheme would make a significant contribution to the housing land supply of the New Forest District, to the effect of approximately six months worth of supply.

Ken Parke Planning Consultants (KPPC) Planning Director Adam Bennett has represented the applicant in relation to this site from the initial stages of site assessment and promotion, through allocation within the New Forest District Local Plan, and thereafter throughout the formal planning application stage.

He said: “This is a fantastic result for our client and the project team who have worked tirelessly on this matter addressing the comments and concerns of the council’s officers and technical consultees to overcome in particularly complex drainage, highways, ecological and arboricultural issues with this site.

“We were confident from our first assessment of this site that we could bring forwards a quality development opportunity on the land and this is the next step towards seeing the project delivered.

“We look forward to the next stages of detailed design and working with our clients and any future development partners to see the development realised on the ground.”

The project teams comprises Corstorphine & Wright, SLR Consulting, Barrell Tree Consultancy, Ubu Design Ltd, Ecosupport Ltd, Redmore Environmental Ltd, Cotswold Archaeology, Clarke Saunders Acoustics and Merlion Capital Corporation Ltd.

• New Forest District Council currently have an open ‘Call for Sites’ consultation. If you require assistance in relation to the promotion of your land, or indeed any other planning matter, please do get in contact and we will be happy to discuss how we can assist you.

(IMAGES: CORSTORPHINE & WRIGHT ARCHITECTS)