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South Downs National Park Anniversary - Rosie (2nd Apr 2014 - 15:02:54) Congratulations to the South Downs National Park which became fully operational on 1 April 2011. In recognition of the fantastic countryside in the south and particularly for including the Wealden Heaths. Only three years young let's make sure we keep OUR bit of the National Park and stop it from being violated by developers!

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - bdavies (2nd Apr 2014 - 15:40:04) Here here!. But beware, today the Times announced that this Government plans to remove the requirement of fracking companies to obtain permission from landowners before drilling under their land. The measure will apparently be included in the Government's Growth Bill. As the SDNP is under scrutiny for fracking, this action could threaten its very existence in its current format. Liphook and surrounding areas will also be impacted as well as other parts of the South not within the confines of the National Park.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (2nd Apr 2014 - 20:28:52) The SOS Bohunt Community Action Group is dedicated to resist the proposed housing development on the Bohunt Manor Estate which is situated in the South Downs National Park. There is an imminent planning application anticipated for the construction of 200 houses on this Estate which is contrary to the aims and objectives of the South Downs National Park. Liphook has been dedicated as a Gateway to the National Park and one of the routes into the National Park from Liphook is via the public footpath next to The Church Centre, which continues through the Bohunt Manor Estate to the Shipwrights Way. Further information regarding our Group can be found on our website www.sosbohuntmanor.co.uk. If you wish to be included in our mailing list or have any comments on our campaign please email: support@sosbohuntmanor.co.uk.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (3rd Apr 2014 - 19:16:45) Further to the previous post a Notification of Pre-application reference SDNP/14/01638/PRE was received on 31st March 2014 by the South Downs National Park Planning Authority. The application relates to the following proposal:- Mixed use development comprising of approximately 210 units, including open market housing, affordable housing, custom-build housing, live-work housing and shelter alms houses; work-hub of c. 1400sqm to provide flexible workspace for start-up companies and SME's and ancillary community use space, a cafe and facilities to support the tourist economy; nature reserve area and open SANGS recreation area including cricket pitch. Masterplan also includes a number of permitted community facilities; medical centre; football pitch, pavilion and pedestrian cycle link to Bohunt School; community allotments; and community barn providing secure storage for community allotments. You will note that the application for housing now refers to 210 houses and not 200 houses. Last year the intention was to apply for permission to construct 175 houses!! The SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group will be formally responding to the pre-application, but readers of this post may wish to add their own objections to this application by registering their concerns directly via the SDNP’s web site planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk, by email at planning@southdowns.gov.uk or by post to Hatton House Bepton Road Midhurst West Sussex GU29 9LU.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - liz (4th Apr 2014 - 09:57:13) So the 'work hub' or industrial bit will be right next to (what were) the beautiful ponds. They really are taking the mickey. No 'relief road' propsed (not that it would do much good in my view) but probably saving that as a final bargaining tool. Let's hope the wishes of the public -as expressed so far in the local plan - even if not formalised yet, the hard won extention to the National Park plus our environmental and archaelogical heritage count for something. - If this goes ahead it will show they do not.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - Councillor B Easton (4th Apr 2014 - 10:12:28) I just thought it was timely to let people know that there is a community forum organised by the District Councillors and the headline subject for discussion will be the Joint Core Strategy and the plans for new housing in our area. The forum is being held in the Millenium Centre and is on Tuesday the 15th of April starting at 6.30. It is an opportunity to have a say so please come.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - Darren (5th Apr 2014 - 17:09:56) Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but looking at the details of the Bohunt Manor (Park?) proposals I feel it is by far the best proposal of all those being put forward at this moment. It would at least give something to Liphook residents (Health Centre, Football and Cricket Pitches, Community/Affordable housing as well as open market housing, Live/Work units Allotments and even the possibility of a relief road) where as the other proposals give nothing except high density housing with even more traffic! Bohunt is also reasonably close to the schools and the railway station. Before anyone asks, no I have nothing to do with the applicants, I'm just a realistic resident of Liphook for 48 years who wants to see more than just additional houses being built for our community.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - Rosie (6th Apr 2014 - 10:47:36) Let's be clear about the supposed Community benefits. LUFC is being asked to spend thousands of pounds in paying for a main road across the land for a single football pitch. The road being for the benefit of the developers. The NHS have no money for the services in existence, let alone finances for a new health centre. You may notice that the cricket pitch is no longer on the proposed development at all! The developers at Chiltley Farm have reduced the density from 164 to 104, and you think that over 200 houses on the National Park isn't high density? By the way every housing development has to include affordable housing. Liphook isn't included in the heirarchy in the SDNP Local Plan for housing, the part of Liphook which is outside the SDNP has more than adequate land for more housing.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - h (6th Apr 2014 - 10:51:29) HI there all just thought I would warn you- the items which have been described by Darren are not going to be provided by the owners of the Bohunt Manor Developers, t,hey are providing some land, where the entailments do not allow them to build housing anyway. THEY are not providing all the facilities mentioned above. They are providing some land, and then expect people to come forward, and build the medical centre and Football Club house etc. for themselves. The football club application got through but they have to build everything themselves and maintain everything themselves including the access road. . The other developers would have to provide land as well. The community allotments at Bohunt have had permission for at least 3 years as well, but the developers have not released any land for this so far. How many times have people asked them to have the allotments up and running now? deafening silence. Please forget what the promises are look st what already has happened?

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - SOS Bohunt Manor Community Action Group (7th Apr 2014 - 08:47:36) ‘Rosie’ and ‘h’ have identified in their posts the very real problems associated with the GVI Ltd application for the development of the Bohunt Manor Estate. The provision of allotments, infrastructure problems with access and servicing of the Sports Pavilion and the absence of a clear understanding for the NHS funding of the Medical Centre all have a current theme insofar as they will not be funded by GVI Ltd. Indeed this aspect of the proposal has been identified in the South Downs National Park refusal to grant planning permission for the outdoor classroom. SDNP stated that there was not a clear future in terms of ownership or maintenance of the outdoor classroom.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - h (10th Apr 2014 - 11:47:23) I have noted with pleasure in the paper that the SDNP want to save the National Park from housing development. Have I understood this correctly? Hopefully it will mean that SOS BOHUNT Manor will get somewhere!

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - liz (10th Apr 2014 - 12:31:16) Be assured that new housing will not mean new houses "for the local community" (or lower prices) - they will just bring more people to the area. Not a problem in itself - but not hundreds at a time. I hear that the NHS has no funding at present for a Medical Centre. If the land is not used for that purpose in a reasonable period of time the developers will say it is 'not required' and will apply to build yet more houses. I expect this is the most likely outcome - and will also be what is most likely to happen to the football pitch and "community" allotments/farm.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - tony (10th Apr 2014 - 16:55:25) It sounds like all the 'goodies' like football pitch, health centre etc, come with strings attached. They're almost a bribe, intended to smooth the path for the 200 houses. Someone can correct me on this, but I was once told that developers can make up to a third of the sale price of a house as profit. Let's say the average sale price was £400,000, that means a profit of £133,000 per house, or £26 million profit for the development! Then as liz said, if we can't come up with funding to build all the other stuff plus the new road within, say 3 years, it appears that the land goes back to the builders. Now that it's a ' heavily built up' area, they would have little trouble getting planning permission for that too! Brilliant. Gotta hand it to them.

Re: South Downs National Park Anniversary - h (11th Apr 2014 - 00:32:43) I am glad that the people of Liphook are realising that there really is not much on offer, only land which they are not probably allowed to build on anyway, as there is an entailment on the transfer of land from the WWF. The expected profit I am sure would be more than one third per house. The prospective self build houses would probably come with strings attached as well, and I do not know how many building societies are keen to lend in those circumstances? The rest of the so called " community facilities" are not going to be provided by them, and if no one comes forward to take ownership of these expensive carrots on offer then it is like the case of the Emperors new clothes. This hype and spin is all necessary because of the National Park status, they have to be seen to have the community on board and in agreement with what they are offering, so they come up with more ideas to dangle in front of our noses, but that is all they are, ideas. Yes the football club have permission to build now, but GVI are not giving them help, they are expecting the club to pay for everything including the car park, access road, maintenance, drainage etc. All they have given is removal of the legal clause which said the land reverts to Gvi if the building is not built in three years.

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