DEVELOPER Samuel Doswell has won permission for infill development off a major Winchester road.

Mr Doswell applied for permission to demolish the existing dwelling and erect four new dwellings at 167 Romsey Road.

The application was permitted by planning officers at the city council under delegated powers so the matter will not go before councillors on the planning committee.

There were six letters of support and two objections. One objection was from neighbour Nadine Williams, who wrote: “I believe that granting planning permission for this property will set a worrying precedent for this small cul-de-sac and should therefore be refused.

“It also should be refused on the grounds that the service road is not suitable for an increase in traffic, nor wide enough to cope with the heavy duty lorries involved in a development of this size.

“I also believe that this plot is subject to a covenant that restricts its use to one property only with further restrictions on disturbances to the neighbouring properties. I believe that this development is not needed. High numbers of houses are already provided by the Barton Farm and Pitt Manor developments. Properties are already under construction at The Valley as well as the increasing numbers of infill developments that have already ruined Chilbolton Avenue.”

Another, Peter Soulsby, was supportive, who said: “Doswells have kept us fully informed of the development plans and have taken our concerns into consideration. We are very pleased that the development has been scaled back from its original concept which we were vehemently opposed to.”

Barbara Colson, another neighbour, agreed: “As one of the close neighbours, I would like to support the application, of many suggested schemes from developers over the years I feel this is the best use of the site providing homes that are in keeping with the sizes of those in area & in a time of shrinking gardens, the provision of nice sized outside space over getting more properties on a site is a plus.”

The City of Winchester Trust, which monitors planning applications, stated: “This development of four quite substantial houses takes advantage of a large site so the houses are not crowded; there are gardens and more than adequate parking. It was quite refreshing to see a case where houses were not squeezed on to a site.”