Wealthy homeowners in the Hampshire countryside have expressed outrage after Viscount Lymington and his company, Farleigh North Farm, unveiled plans to construct a 2,500-home 'garden village' on 378 acres of farmland near the villages of Farleigh Wallop and Cliddesden. The proposed development, named 'Upper Swallick', has sparked fierce opposition from residents who argue it will destroy their rural community and virtually connect the area with neighbouring Basingstoke.
Details of the Proposed Development
The Upper Swallick garden village includes 1,000 affordable homes, a primary school, a new village centre with shops, commercial space, sports pitches, and community facilities, along with plans for traveller pitches. The construction programme, if approved, is expected to span 18 years, beginning in 2028 and concluding around 2046. At peak construction in 2031, developers anticipate up to 316 heavy, medium, and light goods vehicle deliveries per week.
Resident and Campaigner Reactions
A staggering 11,800 people have signed a petition against the planning application. Critics claim developers are attempting to emulate King Charles-backed Poundbury but argue the North Hampshire Downs area is unsuitable due to its 'outstanding natural beauty, rolling countryside, open views, and tranquil rural character'. Hundreds of locals have held protests outside council offices with banners reading 'No To Upper Swallick' and 'Don't Destroy Our Village'. Over 200 residents attended a consultation event in Cliddesden, where campaigners handed handwritten objection letters to developers.
Campaigner Dee Haas, who has lived in the area for over 30 years, blamed Labour's housing targets for forcing the council's hand. 'Basingstoke has had the second most houses built since the War, only behind Milton Keynes, but infrastructure needs to keep up,' she said. 'If in 10 years they work on water, sewage, and other aspects, we could be in a position for development. What they are planning is not a garden village in the strict sense. We have a tight-knit rural community; this will dwarf it. They could build almost ten times the houses of the two villages here. It is not going to become a Poundbury.'
Richard Longfield, who lives in a £3.25 million house near Basingstoke, described the A339 as a 'death trap' and warned that increased traffic would lead to more fatalities. 'The pressure to build thousands of houses against such a background is not just a local scandal but a national one,' he said. 'When houses are built in areas short of water and sewage cannot be collected, something is seriously wrong with local democracy.'
Edward Longfield, from the same address, added: 'This site forms part of the highly valued North Hampshire Downs, an area widely regarded for its outstanding natural beauty. The scale of this proposal would cause irreversible harm through urbanisation and loss of this sensitive landscape.'
Hampshire resident Kate Percival said: 'No amount of 'blinding-us-with-science' can conceal that 2,500 houses will desecrate valuable agricultural land and heritage environments. The A339 is known as the most dangerous road in Hampshire. The focus should be on better public transport, not 5,000 more cars.'
Louis Bowden described the proposal as a 'new town not a village extension', stating: 'It would permanently replace agricultural land and open countryside, causing significant and irreversible harm to landscape character. This proposal is unsustainable, harmful, and should be refused.'
Council and Developer Positions
Basingstoke and Deane Council leader Paul Harvey acknowledged the council was 'reluctant' to include Upper Swallick in their draft but blamed the Labour government's increased housing targets. Surveys found that 96 per cent of the 378 acres of agricultural land to be lost is graded as 'Best and Most Versatile Quality'. Alan Tyler, chair of Cliddesden Parish Council, argued the building work would set a dangerous precedent: 'Once the M3 is breached, the whole countryside to the South East of Basingstoke becomes a target for developers. It is the amount of building that concerns us.'
Viscount Lymington, who owns the land, said he is 'passionate about creating a high-quality and attractive community'. He has been contacted for further comment. The deadline for public responses on the Basingstoke and Deane Council planning portal is May 27.
