Hawley Park

Consent secured for residential development of 126 units

Hart District Council

Hawley Park Farm is located approximately 1.5 kilometres south of Blackwater in Hampshire in close proximity to Junction 4 of the M3. Although situated in Hart District, the site sits on the border with Rushmoor District. Comprising 66 acres, the farm was primarily used as paddocks and home to the Shelley Spear Equestrian Centre.

Despite the site lying within a Conservation Area and forming part of the Strategic Gap between Blackwater and Farnborough, as well as the northwest area of the site lying within the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area (SPA), Lightwood identified an opportunity to develop the site and the owners of Hawley Park Farm appointed Lightwood as planning promoter. Lightwood was aware that the local authority did not have a 5 year housing land supply and were also short of Sites of Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), which are required to mitigate development near the Thames Basin Heath SPA.

The size of the site enabled a unique opportunity to provide 126 much needed residential units on 13 acres to the south west of the site as well as a 40 acre SANG on the eastern half. This did not only mitigate the development that Lightwood was proposing but delivered the opportunity to unlock other potential sites within the district. Lightwood’s foresight in understanding the future requirements of Hart District Council led to the scheme being overwhelmingly supported at planning committee resulting in planning consent being granted.