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Ajax House - old Allianz building - Louise Hingley (18th Aug 2021  13:59:01) I am writing to you on behalf of Ashill Land who are investigating the potential to redevelop Ajax House and Plowden House, two disused office buildings formerly occupied by insurance company Allianz, at 27 Haslemere Road in Liphook. Ashill are specialist brownfield developers with an extensive track record of turning previously developed sites into sensitive, high quality housing developments. The proposals are at an early stage, and we are seeking the local community’s views on our ideas for a small-scale residential development of up to 30 homes. Information on the proposals is available on our project website: ashill-liphook.consultationonline.co.uk, where a recording of the online Q&A event held can also be found. Given your role as the Liphook community website, we wanted to reach out to you to understand if there is any way that you could help us raise awareness about the plans amongst the community to ensure that local people can have their say.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Alan (18th Aug 2021  14:13:23) The council had great forethought in January 2018 and proposed the following - The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, under section 4 (1) prevents the change of use from business to dwelling houses. cdn.easthants.gov.uk/public/documents/direction made under article 4.pdf In Dec 2018, EHDC said "The site performs well through the refreshed qualitative assessment. It is well located relative to local services and facilities and can help support the growth of the "knowledge economy" in East Hampshire through the provision of suitable business accommodation. " Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment - 01.02.2019.pdf The developers will obviously try and overturn this, but I believe, as a community, we should endeavour to retain employment locations.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (18th Aug 2021  20:12:37) I notice Alan that the former OSU site is on the list, the same OSU site which EHDC allowed to be turned into houses, which have now been built. I personally think it is a good use of a brownfield site in the centre of Liphook. Post Covid, with more people working from home, large office buildings are being sold for housing, and I think that the National planning laws have changed, which would override a local direction.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (19th Aug 2021  07:02:27) I'm sure there was a planning application somewhere in the square recently to turn business premises into residential. The new estate on Longmoor Road was previously a farm, was it not? That aside, once more we see more housing being crammed into small spaces while the enchanted area of Liphook in the South Downs National Park remains untouched. With Mr. Blair's Afghanistan legacy we are going to need even more housing. The South Downs National Park must take responsibility for their share of new builds.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (19th Aug 2021  08:39:58) the Sdnpa very much have their own housing quota D and they fulfill it by building in towns already in the National park. The Zeneca building outside Fernhurst? King George site Midhurst? Petersfield town centre?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Caroline (19th Aug 2021  08:58:59) Whilst not thrilled at the thought of more housing in the village, it's far more preferable than the prospect of a McDonalds or Burger King...or similar. Having seen the litter this has caused in Guildford that would fill me with dread.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - C (19th Aug 2021  09:17:19) Any new housing on this site would also be very central and so may be very appealing to the older generation who perhaps no longer drive. Some other new developments are a very long way to walk with full shopping bags. Maybe even some form of sheltered housing?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (19th Aug 2021  09:53:40) All brownfield sites, Joe. Are any of the national parks giving up any greenfield as is being done anywhere else?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (19th Aug 2021  10:33:35) I do not know why you have this problem with the National Park. They are set up to protect their green spaces not Liphook centre, that is not in the Park area. There are plenty of areas not subject to such stringent planning rules which is why the outskirts of Alton have massive plans for housing there, approved by EHDC. It is not a question of either or, D you would end up with the sites in Liphook still being used for housing. Did you complain about Maple Park being built in Liphook? Or the 10 houses on Simon Coytes site in the middle of Liphook? There is plenty of building going on.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (19th Aug 2021  13:13:19) I think we've had this conversation before, Joe. I've never objected to any building development, be it the former Coyte's site, Ajax House or the one that went up behind me. My problem with a small part of Liphook being in the South Downs National Park is this:- Liphook is nowhere near the south downs.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Resident (19th Aug 2021  15:38:33) Quite so D a level playing field would be good. Liphook is half in and half out ridiculous. If we were all in as many other places are then building would be more widespread not so much crammed into one half. The National park need to look more closely at there boundaries because they are ruining communities. Times have changed because more houses are being built we need to have a better system and the National Parks need to play their part .

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (19th Aug 2021  22:25:16) I think you are being a tad dramatic to say “ the National Parks are ruining communities” because they have boundaries and policies against building on non brownfield sites? We have to live with the boundary where it has been for the last 16 years and be glad we have some unspoiled protected areas around here. Some people move here precisely because of the proximity of the park. House prices in the Sdnpa attract a premium.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Resident (19th Aug 2021  22:51:51) Joe it has been widely published that all over the country community’s are suffering because boundaries have split parish’s as in liphook.The government are looking into it. You have not commented on the problem of all houses having to be built in one half of our Parish it just doesn’t make sense. That’s what I meant by the community suffering in Liphook’s case houses being built on the wrong side of our conservation square causing more damage to our square the National park’s don’t seem to care.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (19th Aug 2021  22:59:18) I do believe the anomaly of national park boundaries splitting towns and villages in two was discussed in Parliament last year. I also believe the five year boundary review is due soon.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (20th Aug 2021  07:42:26) "House prices in the Sdnp attract a premium"? This would suggest that the open spaces of Liphook conveniently transplanted into the South Downs National Park are the reserve of the wealthy while the rest of us have to cram into the already crowded rest of Liphook. Cheers, Joe.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - John (20th Aug 2021  08:37:46) I have no objection to houses / flats being built on a brownfield site, it makes more sense than building on neighbouring fields. I watched the 50 minute (well most of it) presentation with the Q&A session and, unless I skipped past it, there was no mention of what the community really gets in return for the build. There should be more pressure on the developers to provide something for the community, be it a sports / recreation facility, skate park, outdoor large play area etc. There has been a huge uplift in the amount of new properties built in Liphook since I have lived here but very little is going back into the community. EHDC do very well out of the large scale new builds with the developers contributions or CIL charge and some of this should be filtering back down to Liphook to improve and add community facilities. There are hundreds of thousands (well there used to be) sat in EHDC's coffers which should have been allocated to the community and if that doesn't come through then maybe the developers should be pressed in to providing something themselves.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (20th Aug 2021  09:19:07) I think the 5 year boundary review is a political one D not a geographical one. There was one question asked in parliament last year due to pressure from big developers but there has been no appetite to spend millions on a boundary review which would only benefit developers. We have just lived through an expensive pandemic, Boris is committed to continue to support protecting our National Parks for the future, which is why he is reforming the planning laws to allow automatic permission to residential on brownfield sites in town centres. That anyway has partly happened. I look forward to driving my electric car if the government build enough charging points. In answer to house prices on Rightmove there is an only minimally converted barn for sale at Bohunt Manor for 1.8 million.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - er (20th Aug 2021  09:25:36) Maybe all of our facilities are being built in the new eco trainless city of Bordon and we are expected to cycle over there or take the twice hourly, daytime only green bus! As for the National Park splitting the village, I can see the argument, boundaries do have to go somewhere, sometimes right through the middle of people's houses, it's a bit hit and miss, but it does seem to work against Liphook in this instance, we seem to get loads of housing but almost no amenities, to Bordon for everything from swimming, recycling etc they've even got a Lidl which is the unfairest part of it all😂

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (20th Aug 2021  11:30:06) ER not fair to blame the National Parks though if EHDC do not pin the developers down on the infrastructure. That is why the local authorities like building within established settlement boundaries as they do not have to lay on buses etc.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - C (20th Aug 2021  11:53:02) This would be a great location for a state of the art skate / BMX park - let's give our kids something active to do locally and prepare them for the next Olympics! (just ducking now ready for the onslaught!)

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (20th Aug 2021  12:36:22) I agree, er. All this would fit nicely on that brownfield Bohunt Manor site.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (20th Aug 2021  13:53:22) The Manor house at Bohunt has never been included in any development plans it is separately owned by a private music college. The land there has never been given the designation of a brownfield site.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - AF (20th Aug 2021  14:20:06) The most salient point here is we have a good sized plot of land in the heart of Liphook that we need to do something with, there are very few viable options. Offices - No demand in Liphook, a few blocks were built down the station recently and the demand for offices is very low at the moment. Shops - No demand in Liphook. Industrial units - Wrong location. Housing - Only viable option, perhaps the developers could chuck in a skatepark in the process.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (20th Aug 2021  18:05:41) Joe, a cynical person could easily draw the conclusion that the house has been sold off as a separate entity to prevent the rest of the land being classed as brownfield. I wonder how much the music college paid for it?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Anon (20th Aug 2021  19:50:14) The music school does not own bohunt manor, they are tenants, it was bought by a private landlord

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (20th Aug 2021  23:15:36) Ok probably a BVI company then owns the Manor House, but the manor was separated from the land a long time ago, my point is that the land is not brownfield.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (21st Aug 2021  08:02:13) This argument could go on for ages, Joe. It could be argued that as there has been a manor house of some sort on the land for centuries it automatically makes it brownfield, regardless of the fact the current building has been sold off separately. Even though the term did not exist then, one could say it's been a brownfield site for over five hundred years. This is one for the developers to ponder who have probably had experience of issues like this before.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Anon (21st Aug 2021  11:05:05) Correct joe, the estate was broken up in 2005 with the Manor House , gardens and other houses being completely separated from the big fields, one of which is being arable farmed this year.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (21st Aug 2021  11:05:19) Don’t hold your breath about anything in liphook our Parrish council have no teeth. The neighbourhood Plan is defunct . EHDC rule the roost along with National park and they have no interest in liphook some of them don’t know where liphook is. So liphook is stuffed no infrastructure not a Penny from developers fund nothing for liphook and yet we have more and more houses. We were a small town many many years ago we must be quite a large town now but no more infrastructure. All this tosh about you can’t build in the National park is rubbish how is it all the towns in the park build houses and roads to benefit the community but not liphook . EHDC are letting liphook down badly they keep on asking for our thoughts for the future for development in liphook then put it in the bin. No wonder the people of liphook are so despondent and angry.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (24th Aug 2021  10:36:05) Just had a thought if the EHDC wanted to do some good for liphook they could purchase the site with the money from developers fund from the past 15 years. Turn it into a community centre with a skatepark and other much needed facilities. They spend huge amounts on hotels and other projects some going bust . So why not spend some in Liphook we desperately need some more facilities.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - joe (24th Aug 2021  18:39:24) hi Oldie, we already have a community centre and a skatepark. I personally would like something for the whole community not a skatepark. Not that I am advocating building in the SDNP but Liphook could do with an NHS medical centre and NHS dentists.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Peter (24th Aug 2021  23:45:52) A Skate park is NOT what we need, they start at 100k plus and the current one isn't used at all (Nothing to do with its operational state, its perfectly usable) Lets work through the example of the football club, its never been given 10k let alone 100k and yet it provides for 50 times the amount of kids. The current Skate park is a drug hole, like all skate parks it attracts the losers of life because its hidden away. The current hell hole needs to be removed ASAP

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (25th Aug 2021  11:04:42) Joe & Peter totally agree mine were only suggestions. The major problem as I have said is EHDC and more so National Park if we could develop the land running behind Bohunt School we could have all the facilities sports ect and a medical centre. And a road to go some way to get around the square. I am all for saving our green open spaces the National park do a good job but in certain places they seem not to work with the communities to benefit the community they are quite pig headed and seem to say we no best which they Don’t. I no you are going to say more houses but we are having them anyway with no benefits as I said we are a large town now so should be planning for the future.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (25th Aug 2021  13:37:34) Referring to the medical centre suggestion, I do remember some years ago a large hoarding at the entrance to Bohunt Manor announcing the soon to be built new medical facility. I've heard many theories as to why it never happened but what is a fact is the hoarding disappeared at about the same time that part of Liphook was incorporated into the South Downs National Park.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - bordon (25th Aug 2021  14:04:44) I think we need to be realistic, all these facilities and much, much more exist just up the road in Bordon. They are brand spanking new, state of the art, Bordon has just undergone a major multi billion pound upgrade thanks to it's government designation as one of only a dozen or so eco-towns and cities, no council strapped for cash is going to build a second lot of the exact same facilities (or inferior) 10-15 minutes drive away in an old, run down commuter town, when there's also a bus that goes to Whitehill and Bordon if you cannot drive or take a cab for any reason. Bordon shares our train station, we share their facilities, seems fair, we are virtually a suburb of Bordon they are so close, they may as well rename the station Bordon and Liphook so then we could all understand better where we are at, when you live or get out at Liphook you are 10 minutes from Bordon, many people living in big cities would consider that to be next door, we can build Bordon and Liphook up using all that empty space in the middle, that's where we should be growing and joining up with better pavements, housing, bus and cycle routes for those who cannot or will not drive!

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (25th Aug 2021  15:04:15) The hoarding arrived long after Bohunt land was put into the sdnpa. That was at the time the planning permission was due to expire when they were told to start work on the land for the medical centre or re apply after the 3 year period. I also made enquiries and was told the NHS would not fund the building as there was currently spare capacity at both surgeries.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (25th Aug 2021  17:25:03) Sorry no no to us joining bordon we are a town in are own right with so much history. Anyway to much farm land in between and miles apart. They should have their own station big mistake. As for Bohunt land a very hot potato it’s definitely not National park land it’s private farm land that happens to have been included in the Park you Cannot access it only by one footpath that you HAVE to stay on or risk the game keepers shot gun. So the NATIONAL PARK have not done us any favours.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (25th Aug 2021  18:10:19) Oldie, I agree with you. Bordon has the advantage of not having the natural development of their town retarded by the constraints of having a large chunk if their town incorporated into a national park. Bordon is enjoying new success because of the surplus m.o.d. land they have acquired. Had they not had this they would be suffering the same impediments as we do concerning Liphook's annexation by the South Downs National Park.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Anon (25th Aug 2021  20:08:22) Oldie you are confusing bohunt land with foley manor land, two completely separate estates that border each other

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (25th Aug 2021  21:51:51) Bordon and Liphook are totally different. The army and RAF always owned loads of houses there. They have not used their protected areas either, they have a triple SIte of importance for nature conservation in the area they have not had ‘ natural expansion’ it had been planned away from certain areas.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (25th Aug 2021  21:53:17) Anon having lived here for 75 years and worked that land I can say I know a great deal about liphook. Yes you are correct two pieces of land Bohunt and Northcote Trust but they were going to work together to develop the hole piece of land for the benefit of liphook. Bohunt school entrance in Longmoor road is completely inadequate now the school has become an academy. The plans put forward included a rear entrance for the school with a coach park and car parking.Access from Portsmouth road and Longmoor road thus no need to go through the square.Not rocket science. But unfortunately the National Parks chose not to see this they would much sooner see our square decimated. Sorry but this is how it is .

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (25th Aug 2021  22:17:33) My apologies, Joe. I must have imagined all the new houses being built on former m.o.d. land in Bordon. As well as the new school, roads and other public amenities.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Anon (26th Aug 2021  08:00:13) Oldie my point was it’s foley manor that has gamekeepers with shotguns not bohunt! Yes the more recent speculative plans are a joint effort and very different from the plans a few years ago that got turned down. As for the medical centre, the land was only ever going to be given to Liphook if the developers got permission for all their plans but they were never going to find it. For the record the South Downs is 8 miles away which is not that far for some people!

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (26th Aug 2021  08:58:47) Anon, I didn't realise we were as far as that from the south downs. Makes the transplantation of a small part of Liphook into it an even bigger farce, don't you think?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (26th Aug 2021  09:22:27) Anon don’t you think the liphook people don’t know that some of us going back six or more generations way before the First World War know a great deal about LIPHOOK.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Anon (26th Aug 2021  10:55:20) No oldie I don’t think that, I was simply disagreeing with a statement you made. I am always keen to listen to people who have a good knowledge of Liphook going back generations and there is a lot of interesting history around here. D, from one perspective I don’t find it odd that Liphook is in the national park, Dolgellau is over 30 miles from snowdon but it’s still in the snowdonia national park. Do I think the nature of its inclusion is a bit odd, possibly even dodgy? Yes! I can see why people want the bohunt fields to be built on and the logic but personally I just don’t want it or think we need it. I do however think eventually it’ll happen. As for the Ajax building, we could convert that to a medical centre if someone will pay for it!

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (26th Aug 2021  14:04:57) Thanks for the sarcasm D my point was that Bordon has not built on their protected areas. They have used their brownfield sites, the hogmoor enclosure was not used, although that and other areas would have been perhaps a natural growth to the town. It is up to our local district councillors to get the infrastructure we need from local developments not the fault of the SDNPA.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (26th Aug 2021  20:07:35) Yes Joe it’s the EHDC that has the say about development but unfortunately the SDNPA have the final say and they are not willing to negotiate they want liphook to put all future development in one half of our PARISH which is the wrong half because it will do so much damage to our town centre. Perhaps you haven’t stood in the square lately any day. No schools but continuous traffic on all six roads all DAY. Think ten years down the line if the NATIONAL PARKS get their way disastrous I think they should be held to account for completely ruining our PARISH. And I think there are a great many people of the same thoughts something must be done.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - joe (26th Aug 2021  23:25:49) Oldie, the national park only has a say on their own area, on big new development applications. In planning terms, the Settlement Policy boundary for Liphook is not in the SDNPA area. If it were, there would be larger new developments allowed, as can be seen in Petersfield, Midhurst and Lewes. They do fulfill their allocation of new housing, it is spread out over a larger area than EHDCs. They are not going to change their policy because you think they should. I also do not think that many people agree with you, when so many houses are being built elsewhere, others do not see the need. 10 new 2 bedroom houses are shortly going to be for sale behind the Square, we need more smaller starter houses like this, not huge estates. There is a huge amount of building work going on around in the Farnham area too as well as Alton. Yes I do look at traffic and apart from when Bohunt children enter and leave it is probably better than other areas.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - M (27th Aug 2021  10:44:55) Think that maybe this thread has got off track. The original poster was commenting on the proposal, a proposal not a planning application, to demolish the old Allianze buildings and replace them with homes. My thoughts are that yes it is a "brownfield" site in the village centre but once we loose this type of office/business buildings, and replace them with homes, they are lost for ever. There's lots of talk about people working from home and not going into offices any more since covid but who knows what will actually be the final situation in 5 years time? I was also under the impression that the site had a planning constraint put on it a few years back stipulating that it can only ever be used for business use, and not redeveloped as housing. Will be interesting to know what EHDC say regarding that if and when an actual planning application is submitted? Personally I would prefer it stays as offices and give employment opportunities locally, rather than houses where everyone has to commute out (by car?) everyday to other towns. You must remember that small developments like this give very little back into the community as they don't have to upgrade any faculties or infrastructure and, because of the number of homes build, very few "affordable" homes will have to be provided. Much larger development (such as those proposed in the SDNP area of our village) will always provide much more in the way of benefits than this type of piecemeal building, hence why Bordon has received so much in recent years.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (27th Aug 2021  12:27:14) Joe as usual you don’t comment on all the development only in one half of our Parish the wrong half due to poor planning by NATIONAL PARKS they’ve not taken into consideration the impact on our Parish as said they don’t care. The traffic in the square is horrendous all day every day now with no schools in . You have your opinion I have mine but you wrong there ARE many others of the same opinion. M you are spot on we should not build on all of our brown field sites we desperately need more commercial units beaver industrial site is always full . They built 63 houses on Canada way which was supposed to be a retail park we have got to stop doing this it destroys a community making it into a dormitory town. We need to a attract business back to liphook we use to have many businesses in liphook and it can happen again.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (27th Aug 2021  13:01:38) The roads will get busier, the housing will get denser, the green spaces in Liphook will get fewer. While the South Downs National Park bit of Liphook stagnates in the magnificent isolation if it's sterile empire of dirt.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - A.R (27th Aug 2021  14:03:41) Joe. I don't believe you have been in Liphook for very long because you seem to have no understanding of the overwhelming support from the residents of Liphook for the Bohunt frontage being preferable for building on. Perhaps you can look up the plans submitted at the time and the overall support it had. SDNP/14/06426/OUT You obviously never attended all the meetings held where members of the Parish Council and the SDNP flatly refused to listen to the majority of voices. It begs the question why they are there when they take little notice of the parishioners. Anyone with a nounce of common sense can see it blindingly obvious the best place for building, but hey ho they don't want best place do they. Oldie is right the old families of Liphook have seen this village change drastically in the last hundred years with many bad decisions , always repeating themselves.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (27th Aug 2021  15:49:04) I have lived in the area for for 25 years, yes I have attended local meetings so do know what goes on. Usually very few people attend meetings. The meeting with the biggest turnout was the one in the Millennium Hall, when only 2 people spoke in favour of building on Bohunt Manor one of which was someone from Bohunt School who had a potential financial investment in mind there. Bill, or M, can you explain then which benefits the developers of Oak Park have given back to Liphook? And Maple Park, so big developments do not always give back to our community? Also, I am surprised that as a District Councillor you are unaware of the change in planning at National level for automatic change of use from office to residential. .

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (27th Aug 2021  17:05:14) Joe a real newcomer . I have attended many many meetings over 75 years . The meeting that EHDC put on in the Millennium Hall outlining the possible development sites for the future was a packet meeting. Bohunt and Northcote were in attendance when Bohunt school asked if they could have outside classrooms Northcote said no problems there would be open spaces for the general public to use to picnic and view the wetlands. All the other facilities were included along with the rear entrance to Bohunt school and it was suggested that the entrance in Longmoor road be completely shut. 99 % of the people in attendance overwhelmingly voted for it. EHDC were completely astonishing not expecting such a vote for the plan one or two of the SOS Bohunt Manor people tried to discredit it but failed because there was so much support for it. As for big developments not giving anything that’s what we are on about all the money they contribute to EHDC go’s elsewhere that’s why we must make sure the Northcote plan is completely adhered to no cutting corners. Any future development should be made to give more to Liphook directly not like Lowsly park not putting the road in from Headley road to Longmoor road a complete stitch up.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (27th Aug 2021  17:50:27) Joe, in your first post on this thread you refer to O S.U. Liphook as having changed from business use to residential. The site you refer to was Ministry of Defence, not business. But having only been here twenty five years you wouldn't know that, would you?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Joe (27th Aug 2021  23:04:54) It is on the list supplied on this website, classed as business use. There is no planning classification called MOD,. The site originally had permission for an industrial site only, but EHDC bought the site and allowed half to become residential, hence Maple Park now. I assume you think that the longer you have lived in Liphook the cleverer you are Darren. Also, I was at the meeting you are thinking of oldie, but it was before the land was classified as National Park Land, and they did not bring forward a plan to build 600 houses there, it was all to do with allowing allotments and orchards etc. I was referring to the meeting televised on south today, where a vote was taken and the vote was against housing there. Do you not think we have enough houses now? Are you on a commission to get houses there?

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - M (28th Aug 2021  08:51:24) @ Joe In a previous post you say ..... "Bill, or M, can you explain then which benefits the developers of Oak Park have given back to Liphook? And Maple Park, so big developments do not always give back to our community? Also, I am surprised that as a District Councillor you are unaware of the change in planning at National level for automatic change of use from office to residential." Not sure if you're saying "Bill" or "M" are the same person or directing your post to either? I can assure you that I am not "Bill", just "M". I can also assure you that I'm not a Parish, District or County Councillor, just a resident of around 50 years. I have never mentioned any benefits that have been provided by recent (in the last 20 years?) developments.in Liphook, in fact I believe my post actually points to the fact that Liphook hasn't received any benefits. The last time Liphook actually received upgrades to it's infrastructure/roads and some new community facilities was the "Sainsburys" development in the late 90's. I don't feel that the proposals over the last few years for the area of the Parish within the SDNPA are ever likely to approved, at least not in my lifetime, but I do feel that any more development within the EHDC section of the Parish should not go ahead due to the negative impacts it will have on the centre of the village, The Square, which is actually a conservation area and should be improved and not made worse. More houses mean more traffic trying to cross through The Square at all times. I have no issue with others having a different opinion, that's what living in a free society is all about. It Liphook wants to have improvements to facilities and infrastructure then it will have to accept 100's if not 1000's of new homes and the only place that is a sensible choice is the SNDP area of the village. Do current residents want a 1000 more houses? I would imagine not.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Penny Williamson (28th Aug 2021  12:16:40) I agree with most of what M says in his/her post. I too was puzzled about Joe’s rather unnecessary reference to “ Bill or M” as there is no posting by Bill on this Thread ergo he must think they are the same person. Moreover Bill Mouland always posts under his own name. It is interesting that when a poster feels he/she is either losing an argument or not getting his/her post across, they start sniping and accusing the poster(s) with opposing views of having a vested interest as was demonstrated in Joe’s post when he posted the question “Are you on a commission to get houses there?” When the lines were drawn by the powers that be designating what should or should not be in the SDNP not enough care or thought was given or taken. Liphook should never have been divided the way it was and the Bohunt Manor site should definitely not be in the SDNP. In pure planning terms it was and is the best place for houses to be built. Whether or not Liphook needs more houses is up for debate, but by developing that site originally this would have gone a long way to alleviate traffic in The Square. 57% of East Hampshire is in the SDNP thereby placing huge pressure for building on the remaining 43% and before the SDNP supporters trot out the old mantra “Ah yes, but houses can be built in the SDNP” in reality very few are.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - D (29th Aug 2021  08:26:23) Given the bitter division the splitting of Liphook in two by the South Downs National Park is causing, the best solution to this problem would be to have either all of Liphook in or all of Liphook out. History has shown that carving up communities causes nothing but trouble. I notice you've gone to the trouble of wasting ten minutes to find out my name, Joe. Can you find out my address as well? DO pop round, I'm sure we could find much to discuss.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Oldie (29th Aug 2021  11:39:28) Well Joe looks as though you have been found out. Thanks for saying am I on a commission I wish. Been retired over 15 years one foot in the graveyard . Having seen all the mistakes in my lifetime it’s time we learned from all the mistakes. The National Park have definitely done us no good. When the meeting was held at Midhurst representatives from Liphook attended to put Liphook’s case you no what weren’t allowed to speak says it all about National Parks. I have worked a great deal of the land in our Parrish and it breaks my heart to see the indiscriminate building in it . If we had been all in or all out the developments could have been put in the right place. The Neighbourhood Plan was supposed to be our say about development in liphook but was sabotaged by one or two people on the Parrish council that didn’t want building on Bohunt Northcote land. Even though the vast majority wanted it. Now all the good people on the committee have left. We have got to have houses the Government want more and more we unfortunately are a prime area people coming out of cities to live in the countryside but of course that makes the countryside more like a city. We have to deal with it or we lose out we lose what they are coming for the only way is sensible forward planning and that’s what we aren’t doing. EHDC and The NATIONAL Parks need to listen to THE PEOPLE of Liphook. the ones with hindsight.Sorry if I put all wrong but I’m old I love my liphook with its fantastic HISTORY I worry for my children grandchildren and great grandchildren please we must take our heads out of the sand and look to the FUTURE.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Rob (30th Aug 2021  17:50:51) Come on Liphook let's have an aldi, give sainsburys a kick up the backside

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - AF (31st Aug 2021  08:47:22) We have lost the original point of this thread. As always. The original poster was just looking for comments on the proposed redevelopment of the Ajax site. Unlike most people who have added a comment i have clicked on the link to look at the proposed development. The proposal looks like a very nice development and will be a massive improvement on the ugly office building currently on the site.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Editor (23rd Mar 2022  17:48:55) I have received this in the post. Invitation to our virtual exhibition Proposals for the redevelopment of the former Allianz offices, Ajax House into a retirement living scheme for the over 60's. See www.mccarthystoneconsultation.co.uk/liphook for more information

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - lac (25th Mar 2022  18:16:20) I notice the proposal is for yet another McCarthy and Stone development aimed at older (retired?) people. Speaking as an oldie myself and living in Liphook for 30 years, I can't help feeling the amount of housing in the area aimed at us oldies is disproportionate. I don't have the facts regarding the housing mix but I am more concerned in providing housing to young people struggling to find decent places to live in the area. We have lots of new building but little provision for lower income groups. Two teachers on ÂŁ35k salaries. Mortgage at 3.5 time salary is ÂŁ245,000. With 10% deposit, maximum price affordable is ÂŁ269,500. This will buy a flat, no garden. Children? Forget it. Come on East Hampshire stop buying commercial property and start providing affordable housing for our young people, who lest we forget actually provide our goods and services. This development is an ideal opportunity. Don't hold your breath.

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Ian (25th Mar 2022  20:17:44) Perfect site for retirement living! We have an ageing population and these types of schemes will satisfy huge demand. Ignoring Bramshott Place which is unaffordable for many there has been very little housing specifically for the over 60’s, unlike the significant increase in affordable housing for the younger market provided at Maple Park, Oak Park and Silent Garden. The location of this site is perfect for a retirement development

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - Rob (26th Mar 2022  15:00:35) No more houses, how about aldi

Re: Ajax House - old Allianz building - AF (26th Mar 2022  17:01:21) Do we really need more homes for the elderly, we already in Liphook have Bramshot place, an estate in tower road and Fletchers Field, there may be others. Perhaps we need homes for young families to keep the village alive.

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