News: CDC proposes Gravel Hill meeting

Chilbolton Parish Council’s Community Development Committee is to propose a public meeting, towards the end of June, to outline their plans for a development of some 20 homes at Gravel Hill.

English Rural

Having elected Neil Connor as Chair and Peter Collis as Vice Chair, the CDC invited Wendy Farrell, Development Project Manager from English Rural, to their meeting.

Earlier in the Day Cllr Connor and Cllr Martin Watson had taken her on a tour of the Village, including the proposed site, the nearby junction with Martins Lane, the route to the centre of the Village and the Water Treatment Works at West Down.

She explained that English Rural is a not-for-profit housing association. They specialise in small developments, characteristically in schemes of around ten homes, focusing on providing accommodation for local people.

She said that they manage some 1,600 properties throughout England.

Tenures include affordable rentals, social rentals and shared ownership. She cited their five-home site at Longstock as an example.

She said that English Rural had discussed the site with Test Valley Borough Council, and were in the process of drafting a plan. It would include smaller 1,2 and 3-bedroom homes with an on-site packaged sewage treatment plant.

An engineer was being consulted on the treatment of grey water. This would require a better understanding of the topography of the site.

Village meeting about Gravel Hill

Cllr David Hall said that the Gravel Hill proposals were “evolving as an initial concept.” He said that the plan should be put to residents of Chilbolton at the end of June, adding “we need to let people know what we’re talking about.”

“We need to get a view from the Village,” he said, “Is it the right site? Should it go somewhere else, or should there be no development at all?”

The urgency for doing this was driven by:

• TVBC’s redrafting of their Local Plan, in which a 65-home development had been allocated to Chilbolton. The Parish Council had objected to this
• Any future CPC response to the ongoing consultation would carry more weight if there were an alternative proposal in the Village
• If the Gravel Hill proposal were approved by residents, it could be included in the Local Plan
• It would also be relevant for any redrafting of the Neighbourhood Development Plan

CDC members agreed that the idea of a meeting should be discussed at the Parish Council meeting on Monday 1 Jun 2026 at 6pm in the Village Hall.

They agreed that the plans for Gravel Hill should be publicly available before the residents’ meeting.

Chilbolton Community Land Trust

Martin Gossling, Chair of CCLT, said that they had been in discussions with English Rural, and might also talk with other providers. He said “We like that English Rural are small.”

He asked “Where does CCLT fit in now?” and suggested that it should be discussed with the Parish Council.

The only work currently taking place within CCLT, he said, was the formation of an 8-person focus group. Its aim is to “understand the specific needs of those who will live in the houses.”

The first meeting will take place in June.

Cllr Sue Larcombe, who is also a Board Member of CCLT, said “the reason CCLT was formed was that land would be gifted to them.”

Cllr David Hall, also a Board Member of CCLT, added “It’s a sad observation, but we’re not much further on than when [CCLT] started a year ago.”

Chilbolton Parochial Church Council

Cllr Hall said that although he had written to the Secretary of the Parochial Church Council, asking for their approval of funding for Gravel Hill development plans, he had not even received an acknowledgement.

He said that he would now write directly to the PCC Chair, Mr Andrew Kent.

[This letter has now been sent to Mr Kent (see page 29)]

Questions from the public

Power to the Village

A member of the public was concerned that, with the increase in electric vehicles and heat-source pumps, the electricity supply to Chilbolton might not be adequate.

Cllr Martin Watson said that he and Alisdair Campbell had met with SSE. They had advised that there were three separate electricity feeds to the Village and that these should be sufficient for future needs.

New CDC member

Terry Gilmour said that he would be happy to volunteer to be part of the Community Development Committee. He said that he had experience in local government, engineering and had experience of sewage matters.

CDC members enthusiastically welcomed him.

Gravel Hill and the Observatory

A member of the public noted that the position of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, in its two objections to the 75-home development, had clarified how sensitive the Observatory instruments are.

He suggested that CDC confirm with them that there wouldn’t be a problem for the proposed Gravel Hill site.

Cllr David Hall confirmed that a further meeting was being sought with STFC, and TVBC were also being urged to do so. He said that the Observatory comments appeared to be “a show-stopper for Drove Road and might be for Gravel Hill - we need to find out.”