TEST Valley Borough Council has deferred its decision on a plan to build 102 dwellings in Andover, saying the proposal is “like a Swiss cheese – full of holes".

Taylor Wimpey is looking to build 102 dwellings along with a retail convenience store and a sub-station on land west of Finkley Farm Road in East Anton.

A northern area planning committee of the council decided on Thursday, March 30, to defer an approval decision and asked the council's planning officers and the developer to come back after making changes.

Councillors asked the developer and the officers to provide more details on the impact on education, general practice and dental surgery facilities in the area.

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They have also been told to provide details of sustainable transport, management of non-adopted roads, water supply issues and crime impact because of the new development.

The council rejected Taylor Wimpey’s initial plan for 130 houses on this site in March 2022.

The developer then submitted an updated plan with fewer houses.

During a debate, Cllr Philip Lashbrook said: “This application is like a Swiss cheese full of holes. There are three issues I’m concerned about – traffic generation, congestion and parking."

Councillors Carl Borg-Neal, Nick Lodge, Jim Neal, Zilliah Brooks, Tony Burley, Linda Lashbrook and Kirsty North also raised concerns about the proposal.

Cllr Borg-Neal questioned why Hampshire Highways was not adopting the road built as part of the development.

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A Hampshire Highways officer said the authority could not “take a risk” to adopt because of the drainage plan for the road.

However, the application’s agent Joshua Mellor, who spoke before the committee, promised that the new road would be of high quality.

He added: “Taylor Wimpey worked hard to address the concerns raised by this committee, officers, and local residents. The scheme represents a high-quality landscape and a meaningful contribution to housing land supply, which includes the provision of 14 new affordable homes.”

Geoff Garnett, a local school governor representing residents, also addressed the committee to put forward the objections to the plans.

He said: “I do understand the legal obligation to further housing; but how do Taylor Wimpey explain to their customers that their children will not be able to attend their local school or nursery because they are full, how do they explain the non-existent transport arrangements to any secondary school, how do they explain the road networks that can be clogged up at all rush hour times, and how do they explain that the waiting times to see a doctor at the local surgery is at the best of times difficult to navigate. Plus anti-social behaviours not too far from the proposed site.”