A drastic reduction in parking proposed for London Road in Holybourne is among reasons why Alton Town Council “strongly objects” to revised plans to construct 156 houses there.

Developer Redbrown Ltd, which aims to build behind numbers 136 to 150 London Road, wants to create a 20mph zone with wider pavements and extensive double yellow lines, reducing parking spaces from 110 to 37.

One objector said: “The proposal is fundamentally unfair, as new residents are provided with full parking provision while existing residents lose long-established informal parking.”

The authenticity of approximately 40 favourable comments was questioned by one objector, who said their style and wording “strongly suggest they may have been centrally generated and are not genuine”.

In its outline planning application, Redbrown described the proposal as “a high-quality residential development comprising up to 156 dwellings, with supporting green infrastructure and open space including play space”.

But at the town council meeting on January 7 Cllr Graham Hill said: “Reducing parking would leave a large number of people with nowhere to park. It would kill the lifeblood of the village.” Cllr Don Hammond added: “It’s all about moving traffic along London Road.”

Alton town mayor Cllr Annette Eyre called for a better traffic survey than “one day in the school holidays”, while Cllr Matthew Kellermann said the development “would cause ruination of the community and destroy what made it attractive for people to move in”.

Cllr Matthew Bayliss said the road proposals were “all about robbing the village to pay Redbrown”, while Cllr Chris Botten concluded: “It’s so punitive. It’s designed to punish the residents of Holybourne for living there. I can’t think of a planning application that has made me more angry.”

The application can be viewed on the East Hampshire District Council website under the reference number EHDC-25-0748-OUT. The public consultation closes on January 21.