FRESH plans for nine new homes rather than 16 have been submitted to Waverley planners for land at Chasemoor, Portsmouth Road, Hindhead.

In April, plans for 16 homes on almost 4.2 acres of land were rejected at the site, which runs alongside the north western side of old A3 Portsmouth Road and the new A3 Hindhead tunnel approach trunk road, within a mile of Grayshott .

Grayshott Parish Council objected it was a “threat to the character of the village” and East Hampshire District Council objected the development was planned on an isolated site not within its Local Plan, and would have a harmful effect on the rural character of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A previous application for 44 homes, including 13 affordable homes on a larger plot at the site was turned down in May 2015.

Urging the latest application for nine new homes be granted, the supporting access and design statement said all the reasons for refusal had been addressed in the latest scheme.

“The planning committee confirmed they believed the principle of residential development on the site was acceptable, based on a number of allowed appeal decisions for housing developments farther away from their nearest settlement zone than the application site,” it stated.

“The planning committee also noted that the number of units for the previous application was too many and a greater mix of dwelling sizes would be more appropriate.

“The committee noted that since the major construction/engineering works to facilitate the Hindhead tunnel and the environmental degradation of the countryside immediately surrounding it, the AONB designation of the site was compromised. In particular it noted a number of housing developments very close to the application site accessed from the Portsmouth Road, had been consented by the neighbouring local authority.

“The number of units has been reduced from 16 to nine. The overall gross external floor area on the site has been almost halved.

“In addition, the mix of dwellings is reflective of the strategic housing market assessment in that it provides one, five-bedroom house, four, four-bedroom houses, two, three-bedroom houses and two, two-bedroom houses, whereas the previous proposal was solely a combination of three and four bedroom houses. This now is closer to the council’s housing need.

“The provision of new market housing as proposed would assist in addressing the council’s housing land supply requirements.

“This is a material consideration to be weighed in favour of the development against other considerations for this application.”