News: Residents ask for Parish Council public meeting

At a Cherish Chilbolton open coffee morning yesterday, residents were asking what is happening with the proposed 75 home development. They also suggested that the Parish Council should hold a public meeting to update and keep residents informed.

The coffee morning had been advertised as a “drop in” event, but with a dozen villagers attending from the start and five members of Cherish Chilbolton, it was decided to commence an informal discussion.

On this page:

Current situation

Peter Collis began by explaining the present status of the planning application:

  • Test Valley Borough Council planners have granted the applicant, Mr James Painter an extension to 12 May 2026 for providing additional details of the proposed development
  • There is no set cut-off for public comments: residents will be able to provide responses to any new planning documents provided by Mr Painter, even after the 12 May 2026 deadline, until consideration by TVBC’s Northern Area Planning Committee
  • Given the new deadline, it is likely that the earliest NAPC could make a decision is June 2026

Mr Collis emphasised that even if a resident had already provided a response to TVBC planners, there is nothing to stop them making further comments on new material, or to anything within the planning application.

He emphasised that Cherish Chilbolton is a community action group, independent of the Parish Council, although they have worked in collaboration with CPC. They supported the need for additional housing in Chilbolton, in accordance with the Neighbourhood Development Plan, but they opposed the 75-home development.

Observatory

Residents at the meeting felt that the response from the Observatory was a strong and very serious objection. They wondered how the applicant could take account of the concerns raised.

There was a discussion about how villagers could support the Observatory in reinforcing the points they had made, and better understand what lay behind them.

Number of homes

There was a lively discussion on how many new homes Chilbolton is facing:

  • The application is for 75 homes, but as one resident observed, that could be “diluted” to a lower number, maybe 40 homes
  • TVBC had included a 65-home target for the Village in their Local Plan, but residents noted that the Regulation 18 consultation had not been completed or signed off
  • The Parish Council are looking to build 20 to 25 homes in accordance with the NDP, but TVBC have already raised issues with that proposal in their response to the pre-application for 25 homes

Public meeting

Throughout the discussion there was a desire for more information, in a period when apparently little has been happening. There was also suspicion as to what was happening out of public sight.

A resident expressed concern about what happens within TVBC, and isn’t reflected on the planning website. “TVBC need to be kept an eye on,” he said, “the real strings are being pulled by someone else.”

Several times it was suggested that the Parish Council should hold a meeting to inform villagers of the latest developments and guide them as to what to do next.

Two specific suggestions were that it could be incorporated within the Annual Parish Meeting and that a representative from the Observatory could be there to explain their concerns, and what could be done about them.

Summary

The “coffee morning” was more intimate than a public presentation, and seemed more like a focus group. Ideas were shared, opinions were offered and the atmosphere was thoughtful.

Nonetheless, opposition to the 75-home proposal was evidenced strongly, and more information is needed, including the possible site at Gravel Hill.