CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 16 homes in a woodland area have been recommended for refusal.

More than 200 objections have been submitted over the plans for the land south of Jesmond Avenue in Highcliffe.

The application is the fourth set of proposals tabled by Brentland Ltd after two previous schemes were rejected and the other was withdrawn by the developer.

Members of the BCP Council’s planning committee are due to assess the application at a meeting on Thursday, December 15.

While planning officers have recommended refusal of the application, Christchurch Town ward councillor Peter Hall has called it in for a committee decision.

His reasons for doing this are stated to be that he believes the new homes could help with the area’s housing needs, the development may improve biodiversity on the site and it is very much in the public interest.

Bournemouth Echo:

A report to the committee by planning officer Sophie Mawdsley said the development would make a “modest contribution” to housing supply, there would be social benefits from a financial contribution towards off-site affordable housing and a new permissive path through the woodland would provide public access which is currently not possible.

She said the applicant is also willing to create a management plan for the woodland outside of the private houses.

However, Ms Mawdsley said the benefits needed to be weight against the environmental harms arising from the development of the site.

“The scheme, although markedly improved from previous proposals on the site, would still give rise to significant tree loss and a reduction in the ecological function of the site which is identified as a green corridor and part of the Dorset ecological network,” the planning officer said.

The proposal includes one two-bed property and 15 four-bed properties and would resuilt in the loss of 245 trees, which according to a submitted arboricultural impact assessment equates to 27 per cent of the existing trees.

Objections have been tabled by Dorset Wildlife Trust and Highcliffe & Walkford Parish Council, as well as BCP Council’s highways, trees and landscaping and biodiversity teams.

A public consultation on the application attracted 238 representations, with 230 of these objecting to the development.