Plans submitted for next phase of Sandle Park homes in Fordingbridge

Hampshire housebuilder Pennyfarthing Homes has submitted detailed plans for the next phase of its Sandle Park development on the northern edge of Fordingbridge.

The latest application seeks approval for 100 additional homes on land off Whitsbury Road. It follows earlier approval for an initial phase of 74 homes on the same site. Construction on that first phase is expected to begin in the near term. Sandle Park forms part of the wider Forde Valley neighbourhood, where the company has already completed a substantial number of homes at the neighbouring Whitsbury Green scheme.

The new phase is designed to deliver a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom properties. Thirty five of the homes are planned as single storey bungalows, a feature that responds to demand for accessible and later life housing. A quarter of the dwellings will be offered as affordable homes through a combination of affordable rent, shared ownership and the First Homes scheme. Every house is expected to include provision for electric vehicle charging.

Open space is a central element of the layout. Plans include a large play area and additional areas of informal green space intended to serve both new residents and the wider community. The developer has emphasised the use of quality materials and sustainable design principles, stating that the scheme aims to sit comfortably within the character of the existing town.

Nick Stone, land and planning director at Pennyfarthing Homes, said the first phase had received support from the local planning authority and that the company was keen to build on that progress. He described the latest proposals as a carefully balanced mix of homes and landscape that would meet local needs while enhancing the setting of Fordingbridge.

The wider Sandle Park allocation forms part of a larger strategic growth area identified in the New Forest District Local Plan. When complete, the overall development is expected to deliver several hundred homes, of which a consistent proportion will be affordable. The site lies approximately one mile from the town centre and benefits from proximity to the River Avon valley and the New Forest National Park.

Local debate around new housing in Fordingbridge continues to focus on infrastructure capacity. Concerns raised by the town council and residents include the cumulative effect of multiple developments on roads, schools, healthcare services and surface water drainage. The town council has submitted formal responses to the district council’s Local Plan consultations, stressing the need for infrastructure to keep pace with housing growth and for the emerging Fordingbridge Neighbourhood Plan to influence detailed design and layout decisions.

Pennyfarthing Homes has a track record of building in the immediate area and has presented the Sandle Park scheme as a landscape led neighbourhood rather than a simple housing estate. The inclusion of bungalows, mixed tenure options and green infrastructure is intended to broaden the appeal of the development beyond standard family housing.

The application is now with New Forest District Council for determination. If approved, it will represent a significant further step in the expansion of the Forde Valley area and will add to the stock of both market and affordable homes available in Fordingbridge.