Campaigners hoping to stop two large housing developments in Four Marks were left disappointed by East Hampshire District Council’s planning committee meeting on October 16.

With East Hampshire unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, the planning system’s ‘tilted balance’ in favour of development applied, and the council’s planning officers had recommended approval of both applications.

They were an outline application to build 65 houses on land behind 87 Lymington Bottom - approved by nine votes to nil, with one abstention - and a reserved matters application for 60 houses at Mount Royal, approved unanimously by ten votes to nil.

This was despite a marathon meeting that included public speakers against both applications - and the developers putting their case for both - which lasted for three hours and 23 minutes.

Highlighting that a similar application for the 87 Lymington Bottom site was turned down last year, Dr Arthur Barlow - chair of Fight4FourMarks - said: “We note that the officer’s report takes a whole 80 pages to convince us that the five solid reasons for refusal in 2024 can now be set aside. I have less than three minutes to convince you that those conditions still apply.”

Following the meeting, Dr Barlow added: “The two applications approved this week will bring 125 houses on two sites opposite each other on Lymington Bottom, with up to 500 expected overall by the end of the year - or a 25 per cent increase in the size of the village.

“Local residents’ concerns have been largely ignored in the quest to build more houses. These sites will bring an increased risk of flooding in wet weather, more traffic queuing to join the A31, but no new services.

“The rural character of Lymington Bottom and the south of Four Marks will be decimated by all these very dense housing developments. We will cease to be a rural village.”