Residents of two sleepy Hampshire villages have slammed a humongous new eco-housing project that they claim will decimate their picturesque and rural idyll in creating a ‘concrete jungle’ of 6,000 new homes that nobody wants.
The £308 million ‘Welborne’ project has been in development for decades and aims to build a ‘garden village’ on 1,000 acres of open land between the villages of Knowle and Wickham.
It is the contention of the dismayed locals that this enormous undertaking will destroy their rural landscape and the nature of their villages, which has lead the project to be dubbed ‘Hellbourne’.
The proposals have been the talk of the area for nearly 20 years and after gaining planning permission in 2021 is now being spearheaded by the Buckland Group whose chairman Mark Thistlethwayte, 59, lives locally to the project.
Speaking to the Telegraph, even he confessed that initially he had been opposed to any form of development on the site.
Residents of two sleepy Hampshire villages have slammed a humongous new eco-housing project that they claim will decimate their picturesque and rural idyll (Pictured: An artistic rendering of the completed village)
It is the contention of the dismayed locals that this enormous undertaking will destroy their rural landscape (Pictured: The village of Knowle which overlooks the site)
The £308 million ‘Welborne’ project has been in development for decades and building work has now started
The project aims to build a ‘garden village’ on 1,000 acres of open land between the villages of Knowle and Wickham
Intense public reaction to the development has lead it to be nicknamed ‘Hellborne’ by locals who feel they have been ignored
Now that building work has finally begun residents have realised it ‘can’t be stopped’ and come to terms that for the next thirty years at least, they will be living next to a building site
Welborne is being spearheaded by the Buckland Group whose chairman Mark Thistlethwayte, 59, lives locally to the project
He said: ‘I was a Nimby. When this was announced some 18 years ago, I was absolutely opposed to it.
‘But we’ve reduced the amount of houses – it’s come down from 10,000 to 6,000 – and we’ve vastly expanded the infrastructure and the green spaces, and everything else.
‘I faced the choice of, do I try to object and ultimately fail, or do I get involved and make it the best I can?’
And now that building work has finally begun residents have realised it ‘can’t be stopped’ and come to terms that for the next thirty years at least, they will be living next to a building site.
Despite continual objections from locals attempting to take on ‘the giant’, frustrated locals say they have been ignored by developers who have started ‘destroying’ the green space.
The Welborne development – described as an ‘English Garden Village’ – has been in talks now for just over 17 years and promises to create thousands of ‘beautiful homes’ in a stretch of land between Fareham and Knowle in Hampshire.
It is said that the major development will essentially create a new town between Southampton and Portsmouth.
The enormous new development will occupy a huge expanse of countryside bordering nearby villages including Knowle and Wickham (Pictured: Where the new vilage will be built)
The Welborne development – described as an ‘English Garden Village’ – has been in talks now for just over 17 years
It promises to create thousands of ‘beautiful homes’ in a stretch of land between Fareham and Knowle in Hampshire
Mr Thistlethwayte’s ‘vision’ is said to focus on ‘good architecture’ and ‘thoughtful landscaping’ in the hopes ‘to build a new town that will look as good in 50 or 100 years’ time as it does the day it is first built’
It will features some of Britain’s most eco-friendly homes, powered by a solar farm and a cutting edge underground heating network that uses heat pumps and taps into a nearby reservoir
Mr Thistlethwayte’s ‘vision’ is said to focus on ‘good architecture’ and ‘thoughtful landscaping’ in the hopes ‘to build a new town that will look as good in 50 or 100 years’ time as it does the day it is first built’.
It will features some of Britain’s most eco-friendly homes, powered by a solar farm and a cutting edge underground heating network that uses heat pumps and taps into a nearby reservoir.
Residents of Knowle and Wickham say the development has led to the felling of trees and greenery in their area, started to create traffic problems and has left the GP fearful over a high patient population.
Loraine Rappe chairs the Knowle Residents’ Association and said she has frequently objected to the Welborne development.
She said: ‘It is definitely going ahead, there’s no stopping it.
‘All we are saying is that it is a shame that they have started destroying what was already there, unnecessarily.’
Loraine Rappe chairs the Knowle Residents’ Association has frequently objected to the Welborne development
To enter the village, residents have to drive up the mile-long picturesque Knowle Road and many locals said they were promised this would not be impacted by the development
Residents of Knowle and Wickham say the development has led to the demolition of trees and greenery in their area
To enter the village, residents have to drive up the mile-long picturesque Knowle Road and many locals said they were promised this would not be impacted by the development.
The 81 year old added: ‘Knowle is a rural area and people said as they hit that road and come in they are back into the rural country.
‘When people say what people like about living in Knowle, it was always said that it’s being able to drive into Knowle and feel like you are in your own little village.’
But, according to locals, this road has now been impacted by developments through the removal of the ‘green corridor’ that encapsulates the space.
30 acres of trees and hedges lining the main road will go so houses can be built on the edge of it.
Ms Rappe added: ‘The [local] view is that they’re saying one thing but in fact, doing something else.
‘The particular annoyance is the destruction of all the shrubs and trees. People have been referring to the whole development as Hellborne.’
Kayleigh Rooke set up a petition to ‘Save Knowle Road Trees and Hedgerows’ which have been impacted in the ‘first phase’ of the Welborne development.
The 35 year old estimates 150 to 200 trees could be lost. She said: ‘I started up the petition in November to try and protect the trees on Knowle Road.
‘It’s had such an amazing response with 2,238 signatures now. It has been gaining momentum lately.’
Locals say Knowle road has now been impacted by developments through the removal of the ‘green corridor’ that encapsulates the space
Residents fear over the course of the enormous building project up to 150 to 200 trees could be lost
30 acres of trees and hedges lining the main road will go so houses can be built on the edge of it (Pictured: Knowle overlooking Welbourne)
Kayleigh Rooke set up a petition to ‘Save Knowle Road Trees and Hedgerows’ which have been impacted in the ‘first phase’ of the Welborne development
Pictured: Trees and hedge rows have already been removed as ground works take place off Knowle Road
The business support administrator said it is ‘infuriating’ for residents who feel as if they are being ignored by developers when campaigning against the destruction of green space.
She said: ‘We want to keep the main character coming in and out of the village.
‘When you drive into that road you get the feeling of ‘I’m home’.
‘A sense of calm and security which is why most people have moved here – a rural setting.
‘We were assured that we would maintain our road and our tree line.’
Miss Rooke slammed the ‘compete and utter disregard for how the residents feel’, adding: ‘As far as we are concerned they are taking the character of Knowle Village.
‘They are basically going to turn us into a concrete jungle.’
Sheila Chambers, 72, has grown up in Knowle Village and said she too has felt ignored by developers.
The Knowle Residents Association committee member said: ‘I have been here in Knowle since 1956, so a long time, I grew up here as a child.
‘I have seen all the changes in Knowle Village and I have been interested in all the stuff that’s going on with Welborne since then.
‘My biggest beef is that Buckland has totally disregarded the residents of Knowle. They are destroying our village by destroying our country road.
‘They have taken the whole character of the drive up to Knowle. It was a pleasant rural country road.’
Cally Palmer, 28, and Nathan Gerreld, 38, work together in the Green Chair Salon in Knowle village centre
The groundwork of the development is all that can now be seen when traversing the areas public footpaths
Residents say the Welborne development has been spoken about ‘every single day’ in the area since work began
Cally Palmer, 28, and Nathan Gerreld, 38, work together in the Green Chair Salon in Knowle village centre.
Both hairdressers said the Welborne development has been spoken about ‘every single day’ since opening 10 years ago by their clients.
Owner of the shop, Mr Gerreld said: ‘I think it’s such a giant that there’s no point in talking about it because it can’t be stopped.
‘Some of my clients were on the board going against them and they thought that they were getting somewhere.
‘There always seemed to be something going on underneath.’
Mr Gerreld said ‘It’s such a shame that it doesn’t matter what the little person thinks’.
He added: ‘I think in five years time, if people asked you in the area where you live, people are going to say Welborne.’
Miss Palmer added: ‘Every day it’s been spoken about.
‘The biggest concern is probably the trees being cut down and just the fact that it is not going to be a village anymore.’
Retired couple Barry and Margaret Causer, both 75, said the development and building work is ‘intolerable’
Residents living in the shadow of the development are staring down the barrel of decades of disruption
Victoria Glenister has lived in Knowle for 22 years and claims the development has already had a knock on effect on local wildlife
Some three miles down the road, Wickham surgery has spoken about the ‘untenable’ and ‘worrying situation’ as they prepare to take on Welborne residents as GP patients.
In a statement they have urged the Integrated Care Board to expand the NHS boundary to prevent ‘further endangering’ the practise viability – which has been made vulnerable by the risk of a ‘significant patient population’.
Retired couple Barry and Margaret Causer, both 75, said the development and building work is ‘intolerable’.
Ex-veterinary receptionist Mrs Causer said: ‘We came here to retire, not to be on a building site.
‘We are too old to move again so we have just got to put up with it.’
Her husband added: ‘That doesn’t mean to say we have got to agree with it at all.’
Victoria Glenister has lived in Knowle for 22 years.
The 42 year old added: ‘I think they started cutting the hedgerows at the wrong time – there’s a lot of birdies there.
‘Just coming into the village, it feels different already. It was special coming in with nothing else around.’
Fiona Gray, Director of Buckland Development, said: ‘We are working with a local, long established tree specialist as well as an eminent landscape architect to create acres of green space, beautiful parks and woodlands for all – accessible by walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders.
‘We recognise that the removal of the current verge vegetation on Knowle Road is difficult to see for some residents, but this is unavoidable for the vital new services and alternative routes from Knowle to the A32.’