NEW housing plans were presented at a public exhibition for the redevelopment of Passfield Business Centre, off Lynchborough Road.

The proposals include up to 48 two, three and four-bedroom houses, including 12 two-bed apartments, a community hall and a public open space area.

PNH Properties stated that after some 50 years, the Passfield Business Centre, which was built in the 1960s, was rapidly coming to the end of its useful life. 

It was originally built as research laboratories before it became an industrial and business park.

They say the current buildings do not meet modern standards as their  construction includes asbestos, single glazing, poorly insulated flat roofs, and an antiquated heating and electrical system. 

Roger Hutton of Howard Hutton and Associates told The Herald: “We are advised it is not possible to renovate the centre without giving all of the tenants notice given the presence of asbestos.

“The costs of the removal of the asbestos and the significant rebuilding required would make the rents that would need to be charged, if the work was undertaken, totally unrealistic.

“Consultants have looked at the option of demolishing the centre and building a new, larger business park at Passfield, but they feel that if we are going to build a new business centre it would be better to provide it a more appropriate, less residential location.   

“So we have concluded that we should apply for planning permission to demolish the centre, replace it with high-quality housing and provide a new business park somewhere more appropriate in the district.

“It is a very exciting project with the possibility of removing the old, and somewhat tired, business centre and its associated lorries and HGVs, replacing it with housing that will fit better into the area and providing new and much more prestigious business premises elsewhere in East Hampshire.”

The new commercial development would be expected to be more modern and the owners, PNH Properties, are willing to help with removal costs of those tenants who would wish to move to the new premises, as well as assist with any tenants wishing to move to vacant units at Passfield Mill, off Headley Road, the second employment site in the village.

Mr Hutton concluded the key point of the development proposal was that the site owner Peter Hunt, of PNH Properties, would enter into a legal agreement with East Hampshire District Council to replace the commercial site within the district.

The site lies within the defined settlement policy boundary for Passfield Common and the main access to the new housing would be via the existing access point.

Another fatal accident occurred at the junction of Lynchborough Road and Hollywater Road recently, and residents have called for stricter speed limits for what has been a notorious accident spot over the last decade.