East Hampshire planning chief Simon Jenkins has said he would “at this point in time” recommend councillors refuse new housing plans at Chawton Park Farm in Alton.

The district council shocked residents when in June 2021 it chose Chawton Park Farm as a proposed site for a development of up to 1,200 new homes as part of its draft Local Plan.

But it seems the council is now campaigning against its own decision in the wake of a groundswell of local objection to the Chawton Park proposal.

Speaking at the council’s July 25 planning policy meeting, leader Richard Millard asked Simon Jenkins, chief operating officer, how a new ‘draft housing outside settlement boundaries supplementary planning document’ could affect Chawton Farm.

Mr Jenkins responded that whilst the council’s planning committee “would consider any application at Chawton Park Farm”, as the councils’ lead planning professional, he would “at this point in time be recommending refusal”.