What does everyone think of the plan for 2,500 more homes in Horton Heath? Its a humongous development, I had no idea it was so big initially!
I’ve also lost count - am I reading right that these numbers don’t count in the numbers for the ‘local plan’? I also notice it has its own whizzy website!
I’m also curious of this statement:
Eastleigh Borough Council will design and build the whole development. By bringing together local people, industry and council specialists, we’ll be exploring new ways to build smarter, better and more responsibly.
Other than marketing blurb - what ways are they being built “smarter, better, and more responsibly?” - it feels like exactly the same so far?
I went for a drive down Allington lane earlier today; wow! It looks totally different, a whole new roundabout - I think to do with One Horton Heath?
I was going to stop and grab a photo or 6 to share but I couldn’t find a safe place. 
Matthew Tate tells me the red marked tree is the only one authorised to be cut down. Rumour is more have been cut down.
Allington Nursery and Garden Centre is clearly against it and raises some very valid points; copying here for others to see it;
Good afternoon everyone,
I have owned land in Allington Lane for approximately 40 years. I have lived here for 34 years and what has gone on in Allington lane for the last 3 years is an absolute disgrace. First of all, we get Linden Homes and still to this day with all their mess that goes with it onto the road. Then we get Bargate Homes with all their mess and noise, hundreds of vehicles and lorry’s driving all over the entrance to our house and then the NEW road with all the road closures and mess. Plus all the mud and debris ends up in the ditches, blocking them up and causing flooding. And now we have the carnage of trees being destroyed that have been there for generations for the wildlife that have lived here over the years. All of this destruction of trees is so Eastleigh borough council can put a foot path and cycle path in. As a tax payer why are we paying for cycle lanes. If cyclists paid a tax and had insurance that would be different. You only had to look at the cost for the Avenue in Southampton to have cycle lanes for then it all to be removed at the cost of the taxpayer.
I say all of the above as a local resident, but on top of that we are trying to run a business. Of which the council have very little regard for the businesses in Allington lane. Since the start of the building works, there has been nothing but road closures, traffic lights, the road dug up on numerous occasions. Covid and what goes with it is bad enough, but the last few years has had a serious negative effect on our business.
What do you get from EBC they are going to plant saplings, to replace what you can see in the photographs. Allington Lane is called a lane for a reason, and look what EBC are doing to it now? And they are meant to represent the people?? Can’t you tell no one from the planning department lives here.
This used to be a nice quiet place to live, but not anymore!! Maybe I should become a local councillor!!..
See the pictures attached for the destruction being caused.
Steve Goodridge
Part 2:
Part 2… Received information today that there was machinery cleaning what they call “scrub” between the trees, an average person would call it nature’s habitat. While butchering the trees as you have seen in our previous post, now I can’t believe what we were told, this site is owned by EBC (we presume) and the vehicle doing the scrub work was told to leave the site because there has been NO ecology report done!!! I would of thought the first thing you would do is have these reports in place before you starting butchering nature. On top of this, the beautiful pine tree in the picture which must be well over 100 years old is also now going to be butchered and removed!! In the 40 years we have been here this has been a haven for wildlife nesting and playing, in the time we have lived here we have watched the squirrels play in here, especially in this pine tree. All in aid of a foot and cycle path! We are meant to be looking after nature? David Attenborough says it’s important to look after the environment and nature.
We have planted over 60 trees on our site to help with nature and then we watch EBC butcher and destroy these trees for the sake a cycle and foot path that could of been done in between the trees.
The question I have for EBC is, are they going to replace these trees on a like for like basis? Or will they be saplings that we have to wait generations for them to start removing Co2 from the atmosphere.
We are absolutely disgusted!! This used to be a nice, quiet place to live, but not anymore!!
Source is their facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/allingtonnursery
I had no idea it was this bad. It’s shocking behaviour from this council. Calling hedgerows ‘scrub’ is disengenuous at the very least, when they are under serious threat countrywide.
We are learning from this that we cannot trust the Council to look after any trees or hedgerows within their grasp.
We need to pull together a protection plan before EBC annihilates what’s left.
Just come across the jazzy promo video.
There’s not just one but a whole YouTube channel on it.
Glad to hear Paul is raising Eastleigh borough councils crazy house building antics in Fair Oak and Horton Heath at government level.
Adam we’ve heard it all before from every Conservative MP the constituency has ever had. Where has it got us? Government could act to change planning rules but they won’t, why? Because they want this sort of development. The Conservatives and Lib Dems are the same package with different wrapping. 65% unaffordable housing, no central gov infrastructure spending (and I don’t just mean roads!), no new hospitals or schools. If we keep electing Tories and Lib Dems in our area the seesaw of blame will continue, while nothing actually changes…
That video made me chuckle, starting with the suggestion that he’s only opposed to the development due to some specific problems! It’s also odd that he’s so keen on holding people to account when he’s moonlighting as a local councillor, but not the least bit interested in accountability or scrutinising anything in his day job as an MP. I can sympathise with him about writing to people but not getting answers though; he doesn’t answer my questions. If you think raising it at government level is impressive, it really isn’t. Have a look at his first PMQ question about the local plan and the non answer he got. Or the debate he got about accessibility at Hedge End station. It’s just for show.
You don’t get given safe seats for holding government to account or scruitinising it’s legislative agenda James. You know that!
I get that there is political motive behind his video in trying to win some conservative seats in the next local election!
Selfishly I don’t really mind him doing that; he’s highlighting it and getting the issue noticed by voters, and hopefully it’ll help some people to be more educated about who they traditionally vote at the next locals!
I don’t mind him highlighting local issues but I’m less sympathetic about the double standards and dishonesty.
I used Swap my Vote so that I could vote Labour where it would make a difference in the general election and, happily, they won… in that constituency. Maybe one day we’ll get PR, although I’m not overly optimistic the way things are going.
(A bit of an aside, but it was the by-election campaign 8 years ago and nothing much has changed! Pretty sure that was the start of ESLHustings though.)
From Cllr Nick Couldrey on Facebook:
I am often asked about “One Horton Heath”. New homes here were first approved some years back. Planning permission was given to private developers who then claimed they could not make it work without reducing community benefits like reducing the amount of affordable housing and the contributions that are normally made for highways, schools etc. So, the borough council bought the land and decided to build the development itself, adopting very high environmental standards, a full quota of affordable housing and paying all contributions. It won’t make a material profit but is trying to make Horton Heath a great place to live for both existing residents and new ones.
The Council has submitted two planning applications. The first is for an updated outline permission for the whole site and the second for detailed permission for the first phase. These applications will be considered by a committee of the Council comprising the councillors for Fair Oak and Horton Heath and West End.
This is the usual process for any planning application even though the Council is giving itself planning permission. Every council does this routinely. What is good about the arrangements here is that none of the councillors on the committee that will consider the applications are part of the team promoting this development
The committee does not just give a yes or no answer. It can vary the terms of any permission to improve the plans. So questions and suggestions are welcome. If you have any queries, get in touch either to the Council or to me as your local councillor.
Source: Nick Couldrey - I am often asked about “One Horton Heath”.... | Facebook
Did i understand correctly?
In such an arrangement, how do you make sure the council is not biased in any of its decision making?
There seems to be no checks and balances here as the council is accidentally becoming a large property developer…
The only properties this council should be developing on its land is council housing. It would solve so many of the issues our area faces. Lib Dems seem to be going out of their way to facilitate 3rd party profit, and I can’t work it out why.
I truly do not believe all liberal democrats in Eastleigh can support the current council’s policy. There are a progressive tradition in their party that has a good record on a lot of issues. Statistically we can’t have ended up with a council where 100% of the lib-dem Councillors are tory or tory lite! They should make themselves known, and take direct action to oppose rather than silent compliance.
