WHITEHILL Town Council issued a “strong objection” to the planned change of use of Pinewood Village Hall before last week’s crunch planning meeting – and has again expressed its dismay after the scheme was given the go-ahead.

East Hampshire councillors debated the application by Velocity RDT – to convert the disused hall to provide emergency accommodation for the homeless – remotely via Skype on July 2, voting it through eight in favour to one against.

But speaking to the Herald just minutes after councillors granted consent, town council leader and founder of the Whitehill & Bordon Community Party, Andy Tree, said: “I am so disappointed to see Bordon lose a community facility, as residents deserve more and not less as the population grows.

“I also have genuine concerns about this being the wrong place to house homeless people who need proper support, facilities and access via public transport etc to get back on their feet.

“Residents should keep a keen eye on how their district councillors vote on all matters and hold them to account at election time.”

Councillor Katie Anscomb, chair of Whitehill’s planning sub-committee, issued an 11-point objection to the plans on behalf of the town council in late June, chief among which was the complaint that a community asset was to be “removed from public use”, which she claimed was contrary to the emerging East Hampshire Local Plan.

Echoing district councillors’ reservations that the hall had not been adequately marketed before going to committee, Cllr Anscomb added: “We have been approached by numerous parties, as advised to EHDC pre-planning submission. These include local boxing schools, tai-kwon do, dancing and the Scouts, all of whom are crying out for hall accommodation.

“The suggestion there were no interested parties in taking the premises is incorrect.

“Existing facilities in the area are at capacity or too expensive for voluntary groups. A community building could become a focal point for individuals.”

Addressing this point last Thursday, East Hants’ principal planning officer Katherine Pang admitted the hall had not been marketed, but told councillors it was operating at just 30 per cent capacity before closing in October 2018, and while potential hall users had come forward, nobody had presented a viable management strategy for the building.

She added many alternative facilities have been, or are set to be, provided as part of the town’s regeneration, including BOSC and the leisure centre.

Velocity RDT’s so-called ‘Haauus’ concept has been developed by former Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Simon Poyser, and essentially involves constructing a ‘building within a building’.

Simon’s company has previously created habitable pods within disused commercial buildings for key workers in London. But the Whitehill project is the first time it has sought to provide alternative temporary accommodation for the homeless.

East Hampshire District Council currently sends many people requiring emergency accommodation to costly B&Bs outside of the district.

But once complete, the Pinewood scheme will provide seven studio flats and three external mobile homes for people in dire need to remain closer to home, for stays of up to around six months.