PLANS for nearly 80 new apartments in the town centre "run roughshod" over the community, a businessman has said.

Housing association Vivid have submitted plans for 79 apartments on the site of a disused warehouse in South View - 32 of which will be socially rented.

It is next door to the under construction Chapel Gate development and Dextra Court.

But the landlord of a nearby pub has said that the development will change the area and impact heavily on his business.

Basingstoke Gazette:

CGI of the proposed development, from The Rising Sun pub. Photo: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council documents.

Kevin Divall, who runs The Rising Sun on Chapel Hill, said that there are "many, many different reasons" why the proposals for two, four-storey blocks of apartments are "wrong", including that his "little bit of the county in the middle of the town" is under threat.

"The first one is about the pub, that is my number one view," he told The Gazette.

"This development is very close and much higher than the existing warehouse.

"People with flats overlooking the garden will be complaining if people are using the garden."

The 58-year-old added that because he hosts events in his garden, the proximity will cause residents to complain.

"It is to the south so for anyone sitting in the garden, it will change the whole aspect of the garden," Kevin continued. "Who would sit under a tower block?"

He added that the development would have an impact on services in the area.

"We have had Chapel Gate built, just over 600 houses. It is very dense and twice the Chapel Gate or Dextra Court developments in terms of density.

Basingstoke Gazette:

The site will be sandwiched between Chapel Gate and Dextra Court. Photo: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council documents.

"Although they say it is very sustainable, the schools are full and the medical facilities are full.

"They make a great deal of emphasis on the walk to school but don't say that they have to cross six roads. There will be an accident there."

For Kevin, this application has come at a tough time for his business.

The Rising Sun has been closed since Christmas because of tough tier 4 restrictions, whilst it was only able to serve substantial meals since the beginning of December.

He says that the 200-year-old pub has had only "two semi-normal" months in the last year since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020.

On top of that, the road outside his establishment was closed by Hampshire County Council to enable social distancing for pedestrians under the railway bridge, something Kevin had previously told The Gazette "effectively cut the town in two".

"It is just one stress on top of another," he said about the latest threat to his business.

"I am a fighter and I am always trying to sort the problem out rather than give up, but there has got to be a time when it gets too hard."

Mike Shepherd, director of new business and development at Vivid, said: "We’re always keen to receive feedback on our proposals and have undertaken a full programme of consultation for the Central 37, Chapel Hill site prior to making our planning application.

"We have written to 680 local households, neighbouring businesses and met with local councillors prior to finalising our plans. The site was marketed for over 12 months but no offers were received for commercial use.”

To have your say on the plans, search 20/03311/OUT on the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council planning portal.