EHDC Brick Kiln Lane

ALT1 – Land at Brick Kiln Lane, Alton LAA Reference Site Size (Ha) Existing Use Proposed Future Use Proposed Number of Homes

AL-005 21.3 ha Agricultural Residential 150

Site Description This site lies to the north-west of Alton, adjacent to recent development at Will Hall Farm and to the north and west of the original farm buildings. The southern boundary adjoins the A339 Basingstoke Road and part of the site also fronts Brick Kiln Lane, a narrow track which becomes a public right of way.

The land is currently in agricultural use and includes the source of the River Wey in the southern part of the site. There are various trees and hedgerows within the site and adjacent to it. An area of woodland known as Hungry Copse adjoins the northern and eastern boundaries. The land rises up from south to north and is visible within the landscape from the Basingstoke Road and from residential areas to the south-east.

Residential development in the wider area is a mix of predominantly detached houses, including some bungalows, with some semi-detached housing.

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ALT1 – Land at Brick Kiln Lane, Alton

List of constraints & opportunities •

Built heritage (1): several Grade II listed buildings (Will Hall Farmhouse, Will Hall Farm Barn, Will Hall Farm Oast) lie adjacent to the site, close to Brick Kiln Lane.

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Biodiversity (2): SINCs are located within the south-west corner of the site and to the north, just beyond the site boundary (Will Hall Farm, Area 5 and Hungry Copse).

Hungry Copse is also identified as ancient natural woodland.

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Flood risks (3): southern areas of the site are susceptible to fluvial and surface water flooding associated with the River Wey and its source. The risk of groundwater flooding exists throughout Alton.

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Water quality: the site is located within a water source protection zone (Zone 3).

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Green infrastructure: mature field boundaries and trees (some of which are protected by tree protection orders) provide a sense of visual containment along southern, eastern and western boundaries.

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Landscape: there is potential for adverse landscape and visual impacts due to the site’s prominent position on the edge of Alton.

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Topography (4): the rising land means that some parts of the site are more visually exposed than others.

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Access: connection to the local road network could be achieved via a new roundabout at the junction between the A339 (Basingstoke Road) and Pertuis Avenue/Whitedown Lane. Brick Kiln Lane is unlikely to be suitable for access for motor vehicles.

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Access: potential to connect to the public rights of way network via Brick Kiln Lane and along the River Wey corridor, enabling healthy and active lifestyles.

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Agricultural land quality: the site and adjoining areas could be Grade 3 agricultural land, which is a finite resource.

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ALT1 – Land at Brick Kiln Lane, Alton Summary of Reasons for Inclusion The site scores above average in the Local Planning Authority’s Accessibility Study. It could be well-connected to both the open countryside and to parts of Alton, via public rights of way and pedestrian infrastructure, thus supporting healthy and active lifestyles for residents. The site is large enough to provide opportunities for a well-designed new development that would mitigate adverse landscape and visual impacts. Impacts on other environmental constraints (biodiversity, water quality, flood risks) could be mitigated by protecting, incorporating and reinforcing existing green infrastructure whilst keeping areas of flood risk free of development. New vehicular access could be provided directly onto the A339 with opportunity to upgrade the existing junction between A339/Basingstoke Road and Pertuis Avenue to a roundabout (including suitable pedestrian & cyclist crossing points) that would also access the development site. The site’s dimensions facilitate an east-west layout for development, which would support passive design principles and the installation of solar panels to help tackle the climate emergency.

Infrastructure Requirements •

Education: Developer contributions (e.g. by a s.106 contribution) may be required towards an expansion of the Butts Primary School and Amery Hill and/or Eggars School.

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Health: Developer contributions (e.g. by a s.106 contribution) would be required towards expansion of Chawton Park Surgery and/or the Wilson Practice.

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Sport: Potential for off-site sports contribution.

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Access: A new vehicular access point onto the A339 and new walking and cycling infrastructure and connections (e.g. within the River Wey corridor) would be necessary to support development.

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On-site drainage: parts of the site have been identified as highly compatible with infiltration sustainable drainage systems, but areas close to the source of the River Wey may be significantly constrained. Appropriate infrastructure will be required to mitigate flood risks.

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Cumulative pressures of development on local infrastructure will be dealt with via CIL.

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