Residents and councillors have expressed concerns over plans to use a farm track as access to a Romsey housing development. 

The track would lead to the five-home development on land west of Cupernham Lane.

Romsey Town Council's planning committee has submitted an objection as well as three members of the public. 

Hampshire County Council's highways department raised no objection. 

Rebecca Marshall, of Romsey Road, Lockerley, said: “My family owns the access track and neighbouring land. We have not consented to any alterations to our track/land.

“We object based on safety concerns relating to the intensification of the use of the track, which is not wide enough and lacks visibility to oncoming traffic due to a bend and slope on 70m bordered by mature hedging and trees.

Daily Echo: Track layby

“The width of the track is 2.5m with no possibility for passing on verges due to mature planting, trees and raised verges on one side, and a very mature hedgerow on the other.

“This track is a popular pedestrian foot path and there are no suitable verges or pavements for these vehicles to pass pedestrians, let alone another vehicle.”

James Bainbridge said: “I act for LRM Holdings who own the farm track along which it is proposed that access for this proposed development will be taken from the public highway. While the applicants have a right of way along the narrow farm track to their land (excluding the verges) they have no rights to upgrade, resurface or maintain it nor to lay services along it. 

“My client has no intention of improving the current surface, width and condition of the farm track. In its current condition the farm track is entirely unsuitable to serve the proposed development of new houses on the applicants land. Consequently this planning application should be refused.”

Romsey Town Council's planning committee discussed the application on Thursday, January 4.

Chairman John Critchley said: “We're objecting because the track is used as a public walkway. There is also no passing place between the road and development.”

On the application's planning statement, it said: “The approved scheme comprises some five dwellings accessed from Cupernham Lane via an unmade track.

"Repeated applications have confirmed the acceptability of using this track as this access without any concerns being raised by the LPA. 

“The current scheme seeks revisions to the access and clarification with regard to works required to the access track.

“The application seeks to provide a relatively minor alteration to the access to site without harming local amenities or compromising highway safety. 

“The plans show a widening of the access for the first 4.5m which is within the highway land and not third-party land. The proposed alterations comprise relatively minor changes to the access.”

For more details about the application, search 23/03113/VARS on Test Valley Borough Council's online planning portal.