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Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (5th Dec 2013 - 10:02:59) Many would have attended the public meeting that was held in the Millennium Hall on 9th July 2013 to question the developers of Bohunt Manor Frontage Land regarding their plans for this piece of the South Downs National Park. This was a packed meeting with an overwhelming number of local people against developing this piece of land for housing. Many people expressed their desire to campaign against housing development on this site and as a result of the meeting a pressure group called SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group has been formed to focus a campaign for the preservation of this ecologically important and historic piece of land. We are currently looking at ways to enhance this gateway to the South Downs National Park, thus ensuring its future for the village and for the Park. The aim of the SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group is:- To protect Liphook’s gateway to the South Downs National Park and uphold the principles of the Park ensuring the cultural heritage, landscape, beauty and wildlife are preserved for future generations. There has been an open invitation from the developers of the country estate to members of the public to attend an exhibition at the Estate on Saturday 7th December [10.00am to 3.30 pm] and Sunday 8th December [10.00am to 3.30 pm] The SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group encourages members of the public to attend this exhibition to make their views known to the developers and their consultants. We would recommend that members of the public confirm their views in writing to G L Hearn acting for Green Village Investments [GVI] by either letter or email: bohuntmanor@glhearn.com with an email copy to the Action Group support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk, The South Downs National Park Authority planning@southdowns.gov.uk and East Hampshire District Council planningdev@easthants.gov.uk. This will enable the public’s input to this major planning application to be registered with the correct organisations. Since the meeting in July and the invitation from GL Hearn we understand that 200+ houses are proposed and not 175 houses as previously indicated. These 200 houses would be additional to the 700 approved and/or recently built houses plus a further 700 houses likely to come forward for already identified sites within the Parish of Bramshott & Liphook. The proposal for development is at complete variance to the South Downs National Park’s objective to maintain the National Park’s beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. Further information about the SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action can be found on our web site www.sosbohuntmanor.co.uk or by emailing support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk The SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group is in support of the current application (SDNP/13/04434/FUL) for the football pitch, the construction of a Pavilion clubhouse for the Liphook United Football Club and a new pedestrian/cycle link, but has some reservations on the vehicle access route and car parking.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (8th Dec 2013 - 20:44:18) Attendance at the exhibition over the weekend was quite high. There is insufficient space on the questionnaire handed over to the Exhibition visitors to complete a meaningful feedback. Therefore we recommend that members of the public confirm their views in writing using the various headings to the tick boxes as a basis for their comments. Send to G L Hearn acting for Green Village Investments [GVI] by either letter or email: bohuntmanor@glhearn.com with an email copy to the Action Group support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk, The South Downs National Park Authority planning@southdowns.gov.uk and East Hampshire District Council planningdev@easthants.gov.org. This will enable the public’s full input to this major planning application to be registered with the correct organisations. This is a golden opportunity for the residents of the Parish and those interested from elsewhere to object to the development of this area of the South Downs National Park so close to the centre of Liphook. The proposal for development is at complete variance to the South Downs National Park's beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. 41 leading environmental organisations including the WWF have supported the Nature Check report published on 19th November 2013. The full report can be accessed by following the link below:- www.wcl.org.uk/docs/... The following extract is applicable to the proposed Bohunt Manor Development:- 8.2 | Looking at the available evidence, we are concerned that there is a lack of parity in the application of planning commitments on the natural environment compared with, for example, those for allocating land for housing. Policies concerning the five year land supply for housing, ‘development viability’ and ‘objective need’ have been interpreted with a slant towards development regardless of the environmental cost, to the exclusion of other concerns, in particular allocating Greenfield land; this approach will not deliver sustainable development. We absolutely recognise the need for more and better housing, but they must be the right houses in the right places, with access to a high quality natural environment. We should remember that, for example, green infrastructure improves the quality of our lives by providing health benefits, generating employment and promoting food production, as well as catalysing growth by attracting inward investment and increased visitor spend, and saving environmental costs (for example, by reducing diffuse pollution). This is a copy of the GL Hearn questionnaire

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (9th Dec 2013 - 09:31:49) Please note one of the email addresses quoted above is incorrect. To contact EHDC please use planningdev@easthants.gov.uk If you attended the exhibition at the weekend and would like to share your views (positive or negative) with the Bohunt Manor Community Action Group we would love to hear from you. Please email support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk Email address has been corrected.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - liz (9th Dec 2013 - 11:47:23) What do they mean by a 'work hub'?

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (9th Dec 2013 - 12:34:30) Liz A work hub in this context means that they propose developing approximately 30,000 sq. ft of employment space. This would be laid out in a barn/farmyard courtyard type arrangement with units of varying sizes to suit different needs. To quote from GVI's blurb... The inclusion of some workspace on the BMFL has always been part of GVI's vision, as this certainly creates a proper 'living' community where people can walk to their place of work and live lifestyles less dependent on private car travel. This implies that those buying houses on BMFL would also be working on it and not using their cars to travel anywhere. Realistic??... I'll leave you to answer that question.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - liz (9th Dec 2013 - 14:11:45) Dear Action Group, thank you for clarifying. It's the usual guff from GVI then. I suggest that people write their own views rather than filling in the questionnaire which has huge inbuilt bias of course. They suggest they will be supplying Liphook's housing requirement without noting ample capacity elsewhere. This would bring additional housing over and above that 'required' and associated increase in traffic. We have a park and don't need more - we have acres of beautiful countryside (at present). That's the irony, concrete over the countryside and replace it with a park and a practically useless community farm. We do need a new football pitch - although surely not at the expense of extensive development on our hard fought for piece of the National Park - ruining the approach both to the National Park and the approach to Liphook for that matter.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (9th Dec 2013 - 15:14:16) Liz, spot on in every respect! If you want to drop an email to support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk we can keep you informed of developments as and when we hear about them.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - Kat (9th Dec 2013 - 15:44:41) Is there somebody in charge of this group or a secretary? I thought that the Council were running this. Somebody told me they saw someone called Mr Miller on the TV last night. Perhaps he is the leader of the group. I happy filling the questionnaire.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (9th Dec 2013 - 16:24:08) Kat BBC South did attend the exhibition yesterday and reported on their programme last night. We are currently trying to obtain the clip so that you can view it if you missed it. Roger Miller, a local resident, is the Chairman of the Bohunt Manor Community Action Group, and it was indeed Roger who you would have seen on the TV last night. The group started as a result of the public meeting in July. A core committee has now been formed. I can tell you that this is not being run by the Parish Council although some parish councillors who felt strongly about the BMFL, because they are also local residents, are members of the group. If you wish to subscribe to the group email then please send an email to support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (9th Dec 2013 - 16:26:36) Kat Thanks for your post on Talkback. At the meeting in the Millennium Hall on 9th July 2013, to question the developers of Bohunt Manor Frontage Land regarding their plans for this piece of the South Downs National Park, there was an overwhelming number of local people against developing this piece of land for housing. Many people expressed their desire to campaign against housing development on this site and as a result of the meeting a pressure group called SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group has been formed to focus a campaign for the preservation of this ecologically important and historic piece of land. The SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group committee was formed to represent the views of the local people and I was elected chairman of the committee. The committee is totally independent from the Parish and District Council. As a committee we are always aiming to reflect the views expressed by those members of the public who attended the meeting in July. As mentioned on a previous post on this thread we believe that the input from those attending the Exhibition last Saturday and/or Sunday are best expressed via letter or email direct to GL Hearn, the SDNP, EHDC and the Parish Council For your information I have been a resident of Liphook since 1977 and have taken an active part in the community since then. I would very much like to meet up with you to discuss any further queries that you might have. Perhaps you will allow the Editor to give me your contact number. Kind regards Roger Miller

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - Kat (9th Dec 2013 - 18:10:12) Dear Mr Miller Thank you for your prompt response. From everything I have read on this and other posts and in more public statements, the group have been clearly against development from the start. Considerable bias has therefore already been shown and I am not sure whether there could now be any true unbiased local representation based on local peoples views. What's more, the local parish council threw their weight behind such a group. The only queries I have are who are the people on the core committee, and, who are the parish councillors involved? When was this committee formed and who elected them? I cant find anything about this, and I would like to know the answer to these questions before I decide whether I think the people on the committee, with the greatest of respect to yourself, are people who I and perhaps others would want to represent us.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - Roger |MIller (9th Dec 2013 - 21:15:16) Kat As I said in my previous post I would like to meet you face to face to discuss your concerns. We can have an open discussion and I can then assure you of the good intentions of the SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group. To continue a 'dialogue' through Talkback is not the correct forum to allay your concerns. Indeed after our meeting if you still have concerns I will pass them onto the committee for answers which will be passed back to you and made public if you so wish.The committee were elected at a public meeting on 10th September attended by all those who had expressed an interest in becoming involved following the 9th July meeting. I can meet you at a mutually convenient time ideally as soon as possible. Therefore please give the Talkback editor permission to release your name and contact details to me. Kind regards Roger Miller

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - bdavies (10th Dec 2013 - 08:59:41) There was a lot of information freely posted about this action to oppose the building at Bohunt; try some talkback searches. There was nothing underhand or sneaky about it at all. It is good that we have a group that actively represents the opposing view; without this sort of organised opposition, Liphook would remain unprotected from the ambitions of non resident building companies and speculators. As much as building schemes have the right for formal representation, those that oppose also have the right to fight them.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - ellie (10th Dec 2013 - 12:36:53) Oh Kat I do wish you would come clean as well as to who you are? As far as I know the District Councillors representing us are either very quiet on the subject or on the other hand Bill Mouland who seems to fully support Brain Cox. It is just easy to demand that you know who is running SOS Bohunt Manor when you do not say who YOU are! Why does it matter who they are? They are representing those who oppose development. The South Downs National Park have to take all views into account when considering the landscape of the Park. The benefits to the community are so far minimal and will only happen if houses are built anyway. Section 106 agreement?

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - Tim (10th Dec 2013 - 14:50:30) I’m not at all surprised that the majority of residents oppose this development. They’re potentially looking at: - losing surrounding countryside to yet more housing on top of the various developments that are already earmarked for Liphook, particularly given that the area in question falls within a protected national park; - adding a huge number of people to what is already an oversized village with no real answers being provided on how the village is expected to accommodate this surge in population and subsequent transport/wastage etc. Have people seen the centre of Liphook at rush hour am/pm? What are they going to do – expand the roads? If so how? You can’t get away from the fact the infrastructure of Liphook is not currently geared up to support a large rise in population and all that would bring. - Seeing house prices drop as the market is flooded with yet more new housing and the builders and developers clean up. I do think trying to add new houses to Liphook on this scale is ridiculous. EHDC would be much better off planning the development of a new town and starting from scratch with suitable roads etc to meet their housing obligations, rather than trying to bolt a huge number of new houses onto the existing village given its infrastructure. On a final note I still can’t believe that WWF got away with selling the land bequeathed to them knowing that it could be developed for housing. As far as I can see this is the ethical equivalent of a cancer charity generating money by selling cigarettes.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - liz (10th Dec 2013 - 16:21:18) I can't see that there will me much countryside left around Liphook if the proposed golfing development goes ahead as well as the Bohunt scheme. It seems ironic that the land is designated as a National Park and immediately developers are falling over themselves to develop as much as possible. Presumably they think if they get in early enough, their development will be accepted before people realise the full extent of the situation. It also seems to me that there is no need for the housing as land is already earmarked for Liphook's quota, on top of which it seems the Bordon eco town is going ahead - with no associated rail link. We also have no need for a THIRD golf course.

Re: Bohunt Manor Frontage Land - bdavies (11th Dec 2013 - 07:47:05) Great news about the lack of a rail link at Bordon. It means that our already busy roads will get even busier as thousands more people head to Liphook train station.

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