Proposed Scheme of Retirement Bungalows on Land to the South of Glebe Fields, Bentworth

The Leigh-Wood family has contacted the Parish Council regarding a proposal to develop an area of land to the south of Glebe Fields, as per this extract from their initial email.

The Leigh-Wood family are working with Briarsgate Homes and MatPlan Planning Consultants in relation to our land to the south of Glebe Fields in Bentworth. 

It is our wish that the site be promoted for a small scheme of retirement bungalows for local people aged 55 and over who wish to ‘downsize’ but still live in Bentworth Parish. Indeed, you may be aware that in the past, our family made land available to deliver what is now Glebe Fields, which was originally developed as a small estate of Local Authority housing for local people.

We very much wish for a scheme of retirement bungalows on our land to the south of Glebe Fields to be locally led, catering for local needs, and delivered in collaboration with your Parish Council and the local community. 

The Council have made it clear to the Leigh-Woods and their agent that we can only comment on formal planning applications when they are received from EHDC.  We do believe, however, that the community would benefit from an early sight of their plans, and we are confident that you will have a wide variety of opinions that you would like to feed back to them.  With that in mind, we have agreed that the Leigh-Woods and their agent can make a short presentation to anyone in the village immediately after the next Council meeting, which will be on Tuesday 5^th July in St. Mary’s Church.

The Council would like to emphasise that it neither supports nor objects to this proposal at this stage, as it is not a formal planning application.  While Councillors are likely to attend the presentation, they will be there entirely in a personal capacity, just like any other Bentworth resident.

If you would like to attend, the presentation will commence at approx. 8:30pm and last for 30 minutes.  You are obviously welcome to join us at 7:30 for the Council meeting as well, but we recognise that not everyone will be able to spare the time to do so.  If you arrive before 8:30, please be aware that the Council meeting will be in progress, and we would ask you to enter quietly to minimise any disruption.

Villagers can submit questions in advance of the meeting if they wish.  We will collate them and send them to the presenter in the hope he will be able to answer some of them during the presentation.  There will, of course, be the opportunity to ask questions at the meeting once the presentation has finished.  Please send your questions to Neal Day (neal@bentworthparishcouncil.org) by 12 noon on Monday 4^th July.