PROPOSED tree clearance works at the Bordon and Oakhanger Sports Centre (BOSC) have come under fire from residents.

An application by the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company for its first phase of tree clearance works at the sports centre has attracted more than 140 comments on the East Hampshire District Council planning portal – but they may never be taken into consideration by the council’s planning officers.

This is because the initial application for tree felling was made back in 2015 and approved on the basis that the regeneration company would meet a string of conditions.

The current application has been branded “misleading” by leader of Whitehill Town Council, Councillor Andy Tree, who received confirmation from a district council planning officer that “no public consultation is required”.

Cllr Tree said: “There is a flaw in the planning system that needs to be addressed, to ensure the public are not misled.”

A district council spokesperson said: “The decision to develop this part of the BOSC formed part of the original planning permission taken in 2015 to redevelop Bordon Garrison and was granted subject to a number of planning conditions, some of which need to be discharged before work can begin on that particular phase of development.

“In this particular case the developer has now submitted details required by those conditions in order to facilitate advanced tree clearance for the first phase of development and has applied for those conditions to be ‘discharged’.

“If the council is satisfied the conditions have been met it will discharge them and allow work on site to begin.

“These submissions are of a technical nature relating to specific conditions.

“A reserved matters planning application will be submitted shortly relating to the proposed housing which will consider access, appearance and landscaping, layout, and scale of development, and will be subject to a public consultation.”