News: Gravel Hill plans to be drawn up

The Community Development Committee are moving ahead to draw up initial plans for the potential Gravel Hill site.

Following feedback from villagers, they will investigate moving the site away from the corner of the field, closer to the Gravel Hill farm buildings.

Advisors and funding

With no communication with James Painter about the Drove Road site, and none likely until TVBC planners have made their determination on it, the CDC are pressing on with their Gravel Hill site. They intend to draw up initial plans, including the option of the site being closer to the farm buildings on Gravel Hill.

They have two options for help in doing this: English Rural, who are consultants for the Church Commissioners, or Botley Community Land Trust. Both have experience of this work, with architects available.

Funding for this work could be from the Parish Council, which has approved monies up to £5,000. Additionally, Cllr David Hall has written to Chilbolton Parochial Church Council asking for support in approving funding from the Church Commissioners.

Community engagement

Foremost in CDC members’ minds is that proposals should be put before villagers at a public meeting as soon as possible. They are keen to avoid mis-steps of the past and ensure community engagement early on in the project. Ideally this would be before the summer holiday season.

Aware of rumours that were circulated in 2025, Cllr Hall reiterated that the Church Commissioners have no further plans to develop on their other land around the Village.

TVBC Local Plan

The Gravel Hill site could be a part of opposing TVBC’s Local Plan, in which they allocated 65 homes to Chilbolton as a community-led housing project.

CPC objected to the plan saying that there should only be 25 homes, as supported by Chilbolton’s Neighbourhood Development Plan. They also said that infrastructure improvements should be made before any houses were built.

Test Valley Borough Council are undertaking a “supplementary” Local Plan consultation this summer.

Cllr Hall said “We need to correct the Local Plan”, and that if possible put an allocated site, such as Gravel Hill, into the Plan. He noted that “It’s a lot of work to do in a couple of months.”