Where is Shapley Heath?
In 2019, the Planning Inspector ordered the planned development at Shapley Heath be removed from the Local Plan. The Inspector said that the houses were not needed, and no consideration had been made for the effects on local communities and the environment.
Immediately after the Hart Local Plan was finalised, the LibDem/CCH relaunched their project to build up to 10,000 new houses at Shapley Heath, as detailed in both their Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) bid document (November 2018) and their supporting Shapley Heath Garden Community Vision Document (November 2018).
The Shapley Heath Garden Community would be a sprawling new town that would effectively join up Fleet with Hartley Wintney, Winchfield and Hook. Developments such as this can have a devastating impact on local infrastructure such as schools, roads, railways, medical centres, and leisure facilities for many years to come. It could also deprive local communities of much needed investment for the future and lead to further inevitable decline of our existing town and village centres.
There are alternatives to destroying the Hart countryside, such as a focus on brownfield development together with investment in an appropriate level of supporting infrastructure.
The LibDem/CCH led Council have launched a communities’ survey on their plan to build up to 10,000 new houses at Shapley Heath. It fails to ask whether you are for or against this development. Hart Conservatives believe you have a right to express your views.
Their survey specifically locates the development at Shapley Heath, explores no alternatives for meeting future housing demand and asks no questions about whether people want Shapley Heath to go ahead.
Residents must be allowed to voice their true opinions on this development plan.