Planning committee members have delayed making a decision on plans for up to 35 homes in Four Marks because of site access issues.

This comes after residents objected to the plans and councillors raised fears of over-development of the village.

A decision on outline planning permission for up to 35 homes at 103 Blackberry Lane, on land behind numbers 97 to 105, was deferred because East Hampshire District Council’s planning committee wanted the developer to redesign the access.

The planning officer said the bungalow at 103 Blackberry Lane would be demolished to make way for access to the site.

At its meeting on May 29, the committee took more than one hour and 20 minutes to discuss the application - reference 20252/004 - from James Griffiths of Shanly Homes.

A major talking point for members was having to accept the application because of the tilted balance in favour of development, which meant they would have needed a compelling reason to refuse it.

Committee chair Cllr Anthony Williams said: “The government wants more houses and tilted balance is being held over us.”

Objecting to the plans, Dr Arthur Barlow - chair of Fight 4 Four Marks - said: “It is the thin end of a very big wedge, with about 800 houses coming to Four Marks and no infrastructure to sustain them. Blackberry Lane is already congested at both ends and going on to the A31 junction.”

Four Marks parish councillor Paul McAllister said 284 homes had been approved, 43 were awaiting approval and 500 were in the planning application preparation process.

Coming back to the application before them, members used an illustrative plan with access to the 35 houses to decide the access for the site was too close to the boundary of 101 Blackberry Lane and should be moved away.

All other matters, including the final layout of the homes, would be part of a reserved matters planning application to be submitted later.

Cllr David Ashcroft said the 35 houses proposed would generate 70 to 80 cars going past the boundary of number 101, causing harm to that householder.

Cllr Angela Glass said the entrance should be moved to the middle of the plot of the to be demolished number 103, and that the proposed new house referred to by other councillors as a “dog kennel” - because it seemed “squeezed in” - should be removed.

A “badly designed roundabout” was “not a safe place to have a playground for children” said Cllr Sara Schillemore, while Cllr Ashcroft questioned whether positioning a pond at the highest point on the plans would be defying gravity as ground water would be going uphill.

There were 118 objections received during the public consultation, raising concerns including traffic, lack of infrastructure such as doctors and dentists, a development out of character with the semi-rural nature of the area, and over-development of the site.

Four Marks and Medstead councillor Roland Richardson said the land was central to the village and would be better used as a community asset.

The committee voted unanimously to defer a decision.