News: Construction traffic routing agreed for TVF

Hampshire County Council’s Highway Authority yesterday agreed the routing for construction traffic to and from the Test Valley Farm site.

Routing will be via Coley Lane from the Mayfly junction, right onto Drove Road, then right onto Little Drove Road.

The Highway Authority has reviewed a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) produced by the developer, Alfred Homes, and are satisfied with it.

They also recommend that Test Valley Borough Council Planners now discharge what is known as “condition 5”. This condition was a requirement that, before any development took place, developers presented plans for construction traffic routes, parking and turning provision and measures to prevent soiling of local roads.

The Highway Authority confirms that:

  • Construction delivery will be restricted to the hours of 08:30 – 16:00 during the week, and 09:00 – 13:00 on Saturdays
  • Articulated vehicles must not access the site and will not be used for deliveries
  • All contractor parking will be restricted to the dedicated site car park, with no parking on the local highway network allowed under any circumstance

The CEMP includes routing control measures, which specify:

  • The route avoids Chilbolton village centre
  • Drivers are strictly prohibited from using minor residential roads outside the approved route
  • No informal rural tracks or private agricultural routes may be used
  • All drivers will be issued with a detailed route plan and briefed at induction
  • Compliance will be monitored through delivery booking procedures and driver sign-in records

Both Chilbolton Parish Council and Wherwell Parish Council objected to Alfred Homes’ original construction traffic routing. Wherwell said “It appears that the route means that site vehicles will be travelling through the village of Wherwell where there are already signposts saying that this route is unsuitable for HGVs”.

Chilbolton, in addition to pointing out that the original route was factually incorrect, said “The passage of large construction vehicles through the village creates unacceptable safety risks, contrary to [National Planning Policy Framework] 115(b)”.

Neither Parish Council has yet responded to the CEMP, which was lodged with TVBC planners on 16 Mar 2026.

At the last Parish Council meeting in Chilbolton on 13 Apr 2026, CPC agreed that it would lodge a response to the latest Test Valley Farm documents, which would include the observations made by members of Stop Chilbolton Over-development.