On Ancell’s Farm in Fleet, five office blocks are being turned into 196 flats, 151 of them with just 1 bedroom:
Technology House: 49 flats (37 1-bed, 12 2-bed)
Pioneer House: 33 (28 1-bed, 5 2-bed)
Fleet House: 55 (42 1-bed, 13 2-bed)
Oak House: 45 (36 1-bed, 82-bed, 1 3-bed)
Teksys House: 14 (8 1-bed, 6 2-bed)
Hart District Council’s Housing Market Model indicates that between 2011 and 2031 we need 60% of new homes to have three or more bedrooms to fulfil our housing needs:
The bottom line is that office conversions = many flats with NO need for planning permission + little/no amenity + £0 contribution to infrastructure.
On the other hand a new settlement = planned housing delivery, of the right type of homes to meet the needs of a mixed community + many £ Millions for infrastructure where it’s needed.
We urge you to respond to Hart District Council’s housing consultation and to rank the options as:
- First preference: Approach 3 – New Settlement
- Second preference: Approach 1 – Disperse throughout towns and villages
- Least preferred: Approach 2 – Strategic Urban Extensions at main settlements