FOLLOWING an urgent request by East Hampshire District Council, two senior parish councillors attended a meeting to agree a developers’ contributions priority funding list for Bramshott and Liphook.

The list will be used to form part of the S106 agreement, when the outline planning application on the Lowsley Farm phase two development for 175 additional houses is considered by EHDC’s planning committee next Thursday, March 31.

It will be the last planning application for Liphook qualifying for S106 developers contributions, as the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is set to take place on April 8.

Michael Croucher and Trevor Maroney attended a meeting at Penns Place with EHDC’s developer contributions monitoring officer, Alisdair Tweddle, which also included head of planning Simon Jenkins and planning policy assistant Hannah Collier.

The existing S106 priority list had not been updated by the parish council since December 2014, but Lowsley Farm’s developers’ contributions require specific, prioritised and costed projects.

They are grouped under the headings of open space and recreation (POS) and environmental improvements (EI) – now called community facilities (CF).

Mr Tweddle emphasised the need for new projects in excess of £60,000 for open space and recreation and £260,000 for community facilities.

Mr Maroney, who chairs the parish finance and policy committee, stated the priority list for CF had been reduced to just studies and in the absence of any other known facilities projects, both he and parish council chairman Mr Croucher agreed to reinstate the costed social care centre and youth centre, subject to satisfactory feasibility studies.

Mr Tweddle pointed out CF funding from developments would exceed current projects and suggested additional proposals such as improvements to Liphook’s Square and its parks.

Mr Maroney sought clarification on the council’s ability to switch earlier projects from POS into CF, such as separating the creation of sports pitches from buildings and infrastructure.

Mr Tweddle confirmed CF could include meeting halls, community centres, pavilions, youth clubs, public conveniences and places of worship.

Mr Maroney said: “This places the purchase of land and the provision of sports facilities at the top of the list for S106 funding under both POS and CF categories.

“It is concluded there will be sufficient funding coming on stream for the parish council to start doing some realistic planning on CF, thereby projecting a more positive image.

“That said, it is clear the amount of likely contributions are insufficient to meet the community’s wishes within a reasonable timeframe.

“There is a need, therefore, to raise substantial additional funds to meet all or most of the community’s aspirations.”

Both Mr Maroney and Mr Croucher proposed specific projects be included in the Parish Plan, which will require other funding sources.

Top of the list under POS are purchases of

nAt least 7.38 hectares of land for sports pitches and facilities, at an estimated cost of £185,000,

nThe creation of sports pitches at £250,000,

nA new skate park within the proposed sports park so communal facilities can be shared, costing £70,000 and

nHalf an acre of land for allotments with an access road and parking spaces, estimated at £70,000.

Environmental improvements outline capital projects to enhance access and amenity value for Radford Park at an estimated cost of £70,000, and carrying out essential repairs and maintenance to Radford Aqueduct at £6,000.

Community Facilities lists the creation of sports facilities by building a sports pavilion, car park and access road, along with all the required infrastructure and facilities, estimated to cost £550,000, as well as a toilet block at £45,000.

Reinstated to the list is a social care centre for the elderly and disabled as well as single mothers, with carer respite in conjunction with Liphook Age Concern and other charitable bodies, which is estimated to cost £1million.

A youth centre costing £200,000 has also been put back on the list to provide a dedicated permanent building for use by the under 18s in the village.

Improved wheelchair accessibility at Liphook railway station by installing either a ramp down from Midhurst Road or a lift to the southbound platform, is listed under transport requirements, at a cost of £800,000.

Developers Easterton have put forward revised plans for the proposed phase two development of additional 175 homes at Lowsley Farm, in Longmoor Road, Griggs Green.

In January 2015, EHDC members voted overwhelmingly against the planning application which was described as “lacking organic vision”, calling it a “commuter estate”.

Key points for refusal were the accumulative effect further traffic would have on the centre of Liphook from a total of 330 additional homes.

Whereas the previous application for 155 houses on the site had been approved by EHDC in December 2012, councillors felt the addition of a further 175 houses was a step too far. 

But they pointed out that because of the division of Bramshott and Liphook by the South Downs National Park boundary, the only available site for inclusion in the EHDC draft allocations plan, was at Lowsley.

The application will be heard by EHDC’s planning committee on March 31, from 6.30pm.