AN Alton developer has been urged to ‘go back to the drawing board’ after his outline proposal to build 23 new homes on a former chalk pit in Wilsom Road was given the thumbs down by local residents.

James Voller could be left under no illusion that his plan, to cut into the green hillside between 60 to 86 Wilsom Road, was considered “too cramped” and “too urban” for its gateway location.

Residents at Alton Town Council’s planning meeting on Wednesday last week felt the predominently three-storey homes were out-of-keeping with the semi-rural location.

Supported by members of the Ashdell Residents Association and the Alton Society, they were concerned too about the steep gradient of the unadopted road, which appeared to have no turning circles and which they feared would be difficult to negotiate – especially for delivery and emergency vehicles.

There was a question mark over insufficient parking provision, with ward councillor Suzie Burns warning against a repeat of the inbuilt traffic problems besetting the Treloar Heights development where the roads are narrow and unadopted and on-street parking can cause passing problems, especially for larger vehicles.

Objectors were keen to flag up the siting of three bungalows, attractive to more senior residents, at the top of the hill – a location they viewed as “unsuitable”. Although it was recognised that this was probably an attempt by the developer to avoid breaching the skyline.

They were unhappy also about possible overlooking of neighbouring properties, the future maintenance of trees on the site, and particularly about the access onto the busy B3004 Wilsom Road.

Whilst accepting that the three acre site had been earmarked for development in the Alton Neighbourhood Plan, councillors agreed with the objectors that, while the application had met the quantum of housing proposed, it had “failed to respond positively to, and respect, the topography of the site.”

As such it did not, in their opinion, ensure that the development would “retain the semi-rural character of the site as far as possible,” which was against local planning policy.

Submitted by Alton-based Voler Urban Design, the proposed development, they concluded, was “too urban for this gateway site.”

The council has also requested more information about ecology of the site, and from Hampshire Highways that the width of the access onto the B3004 complies with safety requirements.