Council rejects Blashford Lakes housing plan over flooding fears

The land is close to the Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve

Plans to build more than 140 houses on land close to the New Forest National Park have been rejected.

New Forest District Council's planning committee discussed plans for outline planning permission by Gladman Developments at Blashford Lakes near Ringwood, Hampshire.

Campaigners had called the area a "haven for wildlife".

The committee voted against the plans over concerns about flooding and the impact on the local environment.

Council planning officers had recommended accepting the application for outline permission for up to 143 homes at Snails Lane, which had already been earmarked for housing within the local authority's local plan.

The area is alongside the Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

More than 500 objections were received during the planning consultation.

TV naturalist Chris Packham had supported the campaign against the housing plans

In a video recorded for the Blashford Meadows Environmental Protection Group, TV naturalist Chris Packham said he had "real concerns" about developing a site which he said was renowned for its bat population.

"This area is a very important wildlife corridor between the western escarpment of the New Forest and the Avon flood meadows," he said.

"This is not the sort of place we want to put new houses - this is short sighted and short-termism and we need to think about the future for us and our wildlife."

Councillors voted against granting permission, saying the scale of the development was "out of character" with the area.

Concerns were also raised that the area would be prone to flooding and development could increase run-off across a wider area.