Please help RAAD (residents against Ashford Hill development)

UPDATE: 04.04.2026

Sigma goes to appeal Sigma have appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to overturn Basingstoke and Deane’s refusal of their planning application for 45 houses to be built in the field next to the Antler development and opposite Limewood Farm. Sigma have persuaded the Inspectorate to hold an “Inquiry” as opposed to a “Hearing”. An Inquiry is a judicial process held in a court environment with barristers representing all sides. Basingstoke will be arguing their case for refusal through their barristers but these are not permitted to act on our behalf as well. As many of you will know, the village faced two prospective developments a couple of years ago; one next to the Holt Cottages for 36 houses and secondly, the Sigma development. Both were turned down by Basingstoke and both went to appeal. The village raised substantial objections, mainly through a community group named RAAD – Residents of Ashford Hill Against Development – and were represented by a professional Planning Consultant, Mike de Courcy. The first of the appeals dealing with the Holt Cottages development was heard in Basingstoke, and despite a rather weak performance by Basingstoke but a very strong case by RAAD, the Inspectorate refused the Appeal in very robust terms; so much so, that Sigma withdrew their appeal almost immediately. But last year, they applied again making very few changes to their previous application. This was turned down by Basingstoke and now Sigma have appealed again. We believe the Inspector’s reasons for refusing the Holt Cottages appeal still apply to this latest Sigma development proposal. What are we to do this time around? There were over a hundred objections to Sigma’s 2nd application, and these will all still be valid and will be considered by the Inspector. However, those of us who have led the charge for RAAD have all agreed that we cannot afford to be represented at the Inquiry by a barrister. (The Inquiry is scheduled to last for 6 days and the cost of having legal representation will be several tens of thousands of pounds.) So, we have decided to employ Mike de Courcy again and he will be submitting our arguments to the Inspector. By doing this, we will have the opportunity to present our case in person.

We have reopened this page in order to start fundraising again. Please donate to fund our planning consultant's fees. Any donation, however big or small, will be a huge help.

Thank you

Melissa Tayabali

2023

We are a group of local residents who are opposed to further development within our village. We are fundraising for;

1. An independent traffic survey

2. An independent environmental impact survey

3. Contributions towards our planning consultant's fees

Ashford Hill used to be a small village of just 100 houses with a shop, pub and a school. The shop and pub have now closed and there is NO public transport whatsoever in the village. The village is also not on mains drainage. In 2016, 35 new houses were built and another new development of 27 houses is currently under construction. Although the construction of these houses has already begun, the developers have still not got a plan for the collection and treatment of sewage and waste water. This is a really big issue is Ashford Hill as we are not on mains drainage.

There are now two further housing applications, one for 36 houses and one for 47, within the village that are currently under appeal. If these were to be allowed this would be a 138% of houses on the previous core village.

The 145 dwellings consented or built or proposed in this appeal is far in excess of the 10 dwellings envisaged for the village within the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan and is wholly disproportionate to the size of the village. As a village we have taken our fair share and are now being dumped on as we are seen as an easy target.

These developments are not sustainable as there is no public transport within the village so every household will have to use a car to go anywhere. In addition, we have major concerns about the sewage run off into the river if additional houses were built as drainage is already a major problem within the village.

To date we have been funded purely by two generous local residents but we now need to raise money for an independent traffic survey and environmental survey to support our case at the appeal hearings which are in October for the first appeal and the second appeal date is likely to be in November. We are working with a local planning consultant who believes that we have a strong case to oppose these developments but we really need financial support from local residents now please.

Any donation, however small, will be hugely useful and will also spur us on to keep fighting!

Thank you very much.

Patrick Taylor and Melissa Tayabali