For years now the big issue affecting the corner of North East Hampshire has been extensive overdevelopment and a complete lack of investment in infrastructure to support it. I have lived in Church Crookham for almost 35 years and witness a village turned into a huge dormitory estate because Hart District Council, controlled by Conservative Councillors, has undemocratically seen fit to agree to concreting over large areas of greenspace, including farmland, MOD Land and rear gardens for housing and selling off part of our sports and recreation grounds for commercial development. Little has changed with our infrastructure in over 25 years.
A major issue for the future of Church Crookham, has been the sale of the land at Queen Elizabeth II Barracks, formally occupied by the Gurkha Regiment, to Taylor Wimpey, with planning permission to cram in over 1100 private dwellings at a density of 40 dwellings to the hectare and with over 30% social housing. Our local schools are full yet there are no plans to improve the local infrastructure, despite a hard fought campaign by our superb Community Campaign Residents Group.
The Minister for Local Government has on appeal, overruled the Planning Inspector and given permission to build one of the largest warehousing and distribution centre's in the UK, that will overshadow any commercial development in this rural area for miles, causing massive heavy vehicle congestion at J4A on the M3 and result in HGV's diverting to local roads. Another real problem is that Local Councils do not appear to communicate properly with County Councils, leaving Highways and Education to take differing viewpoints over developments, each having their own agenda.
A huge issue is Farnborough Aerodrome now owned and operated by TAG, a private company who want to increase flight movements from 28000 a year to over 50,000 a year and state their aim is to be the busiest business aerodrome in Europe. Almost 70% of flight movements are over Church Crookham and Ewshot and part of Fleet where the greatest amount housing development has taken place. So as far as NE Hampshire is concerned our major issues right now are; Bad Planning, Overdevelopment, Lack of Investment in Infrastructure, Traffic Congestion (M3) and surrounding roads and overflying noise and disturbance (take off and landing) from Farnborough Aerodrome. I think that until we have more independent MP's in Government and a greater number of local resident groups on our local councils, who will do what is in the best interest of local residents, instead of following a national party line; life in North East Hampshire will become more urban and lose even more of its village community style of living and quality of life.
