QEB Campaign: Introduction

It's about what is sustainable!

The concerned citizens of Church Crookham and Fleet are adamant that the proposed development of 1,132 new residences on the former Gurkha Barracks site, the Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB), is unsustainabley large given the local area's infrastructure. There are grave concerns that the excess traffic which will be generated will simply gridlock the roads of Church Crookham at peak commute times. The proximity of this site to the highly sensitive natural environment of the "proposed Special Protection Area" (pSPA), which is meant to be protected from such developments by the European Union, should have ruled it out completely as a residential development site. If this was not enough the site is directly under the flight path into Farnborough Aerodrome. Many believe that the Aerodrome operator (TAG) wishes to expand their operations at Farnborough.

Picture taken from model aircraft fitted with remote control camera, July 2004

Background

The Queen Elizabeth Barracks site, former home of the Gurkha Regiment, is identified in the local district plan for residential development. Originally Hart District Council (HDC) considered that the site could only support up to 550 new homes. Concerned nature conservation groups expressed reservations even at this number. However a planning inspector’s report raised the number of properties which could be built on the site to 1,150. The inspector failed to consider that a development on this scale would have an impact upon the nearby proposed Special Protection Area, part of the Thames Valley Heaths pSPA. The local section of the pSPA, known as the Bourley & Long Valley SSSI, is an area which includes the Tweseldown Racecourse, extends north to Velmead Common and east to the Eelmoor Driver Training Area. This area is important for rare ground nesting birds and is considered to be of European importance. We are lucky to have such an environment on our doorstep; we must help ensure that it is protected. Hart is at present seen as a pushover by developers. The people of Fleet and Church Crookham need to push back or more and more open sites will be consumed.

Part of the QEB site May 2003

It's not too late if we act now!

Wherever you live in Hart, but especially Church Crookham, Ewshot, Crookham Village, Fleet and Dogmersfield you will be affected in some way by the QEB site.

Cars: Sadly in the modern age we can’t live without them so why do planners think,
that by building developments with limited parking spaces, cars will just go away?
The truth is QEB will make further congestion inevitable.

If completed the QEB could generate nearly 8,000 extra vehicle movements on our roads every day (based upon Hampshire County Council's estimate of 6-7 vehicle movements per household per day). It will bring in around 3000 additional people who will need, amongst other things, schools, medical facilities, parking spaces, phone masts, powerlines, water supplies and sewage disposal services.

The aim is not to stop all development, it’s about limiting it to a sustainable size. New estates must be easily assimilated into the existing community without causing undue stress to people and the environment.