Fury in beautiful UK village as 20k homes to be built to plug Labour new houses hole | UK | News
Villagers living in ‘Jane Austen land’ fear their countryside will be covered by 20,000 new homes but have vowed to fight back.
Locals in East Hampshire fear the green spaces that inspired Pride and Prejudice are being ‘concreted’ to meet Labor’s housing targets. The recently published Land Availability Assessment shows several parcels of land earmarked as development potential in the East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) area.
According to the plans, which have not yet been discussed and have not yet reached the official stage, 1,124 new houses can be built every year for the next 18 years. But residents are resisting, voicing fears and opinions about wildlife, pressure on local infrastructure and the destruction of a cultural pilgrimage site.
Alex Perry, 55, who has lived in Neatham for 11 years, said the plans would ruin the view from the backyard chalk piles. The father-of-three said: “They will destroy some of the most beautiful countryside in the south of England.
“No action has been taken on the accompanying infrastructure. We already have sewer leaks and waits of months to get appointments at doctors’ offices. This land learned who Jane Austen was. If you read her books, they are full of descriptions of this landscape.”
“This land is our identity. It’s the essence of who we are, and they plan to embody that. That’s why people are so upset.”
Austen, who lived from 1775 to 1817, is said to have been inspired by the Hampshire countryside when writing her famous novels. He was born in Steventon and lived most of his life in Chawton before dying in Winchester.
Alex, who is originally from the Midlands, said the council put forward plans to develop the land last year, but local residents objected through public consultation. The new housing scheme is more than twice the size of what was proposed at the time and the father claims the council is trying to push through the scheme without giving residents another chance to object.
That’s why she founded the Save Austen Country group and started a petition that exceeded 1,000 signatures in the first 72 hours.
He added: “They’re hoping to do it without anyone noticing, which is pretty outrageous. Building 20,000 houses in untouched countryside is a scandalously secretive undertaking. Everyone understands the need for new housing but that doesn’t mean you’re building it in the wrong places. We’re trying to fight it. I’ve been contacted by Jane Austen societies from around the world, they’re all outraged. This is their place of pilgrimage.”
Another group opposing the new development is the A31 alliance, led by Sir Charles Cockburn, 74, who says the government’s housing targets are too unrealistic. A resident of Kayın Village for 30 years says that it is impossible for the municipality to achieve this target without building construction in the areas due to the abundance of national parks.
He said: “My village, along with others within five miles, will be affected by a scheme that is sure to see housing built on local fields. “The infrastructure is not yet in place and urbanizing the countryside, which is what the government is trying to do, is crazy.
“These are Jane Austen haunts. There’s going to be building everywhere. We’re facing a disaster. I love this area and I’m determined to do everything I can to protect our irreplaceable countryside.”
EHDC said: “The petition refers to development plans on the A31 corridor which do not exist as a planning application or site allocation. “There is no major planning application for these areas and the Local Plan which will allocate sites for housing in parts of East Hampshire outside the South Downs National Park is still being compiled.
“The sites shown on the petition organizers’ website are taken from our Land Availability Assessment (LAA). The Land Availability Assessment is a technical document that includes all potential development areas.
“This forms the basis for the list of areas considered for allocation in the Local Plan. These will be reviewed and assessed for suitability, those deemed unsuitable will not be allocated for development in the Local Plan. Not all areas in the LAA will be used.”
“Having said that, the Government’s housing target for East Hampshire is high. In December 2024 the Government almost doubled our target, which means there must be areas suitable for this level of development.
“This issue is further complicated by the fact that East Hampshire is home to part of the South Downs National Park.
“In total, 57% of the county lies within the national park, which controls its own planning and has no obligation to dedicate housing sites. This puts East Hampshire in a challenging position, with a huge housing need and only 43% of the area, including areas such as the A31 corridor, being considered for development.
“However, no decisions have been made on site allocation at this stage. The Local Plan has not been completed and will not be adopted until summer 2027. The next stage of formal consultation on the East Hampshire Local Plan is planned for Summer 2026.”
Check out the petition for more information Here.
