A New Neighbourhood at Whitenap, Romsey

Development and the Ashfield Partnership

The site is to be developed by the Ashfield Partnership, a consortium which includes the landowner, the Ashfield Estate and 3 house builders, CG Fry & Son, Morrish Homes and Wyatt Homes. The Ashfield Partnership are also responsible for the housing development adjacent to the Luzborough, which is nearing completion and at another of the Borough’s allocated housing sites at Hoe Lane, North Baddesley. 

Since 2006, the Ashfield estate and subsequently the Ashfield Partnership have undertaken various community engagement events relating to development at Whitenap. Since the adoption of the Local Plan in 2016, the Ashfield Partnership have undertaken a Pathfinder Day (May 2019), where local stakeholders were invited to partake in workshops looking at key topics relating to development at the site including transport, drainage, landscape, ecology and heritage, community infrastructure and employment and design and place-making principles. This has been followed by further stakeholder workshops and public drop-in sessions during January and February 2020. The Ashfield Partnership also opened a pop-up shop on The Hundred in Romsey to allow the wider community to share their views on the proposed development at Whitenap. The Ashfield Partnership’s timetable of community engagement events is available on their website. The feedback provided by the community at these more recent events is now being used by the Ashfield Partnership to help prepare a masterplan for the site and this will then help to inform the submission of a formal Outline planning application to the Local Planning Authority. 

The Ashfield Partnership’s website includes information on the site and on the Partnership’s vision. The website also includes information on some of the feedback that has been provided by the community to date. Links which you may be interested in include:

Update May 2022: On 4 May 2022 The Ashfield Partnership submitted an Outline planning application for the proposed development at Whitenap. Application 22/01213/OUTS proposes up to 1,100 dwellings including affordable homes with associated open space, roads, parking, service infrastructure, local food production and landscaping. Employment areas (commercial, business and service), visitor accommodation, local community uses, community hall, medical consulting rooms, 1.5 form entry primary school, early years/nursery provision, conversion and/or new build at Whitenap Barns to provide commercial, business, service and local community uses with associated infrastructure. Creation of two new vehicular access points to Luzborough Lane (A27), pedestrian and cycle connection to St Barbe Close,  and improvement of existing Whitenap Lane access. Provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), provision of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDs). All matters other than access to be reserved. The documents associated with the application can be viewed by following this link.