CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after controversial plans for a mega depot on land between Fleet and Farnborough were unanimously rejected.

Hart District Council’s planning committee all voted against planning permission for the scheme on the former Pyestock test site following a detailed four-and-a-half hour debate.

The decision has delighted campaigners but joint developers Prupim and Astral have vowed to continue pressing ahead with the scheme.

Hundreds of people packed into Aldershot’s Princes Hall last Wednesday evening for the crunch meeting, which allowed both sides to argue their case.

Prupim representatives said the Pyestock site is earmarked for employment uses and that a warehouse and distribution centre is entirely appropriate, being close to the motorway and away from residential areas.

The developer added that there would be additional planting in and around the site, the scheme would create hundreds of local jobs and there would be a £3.5m investment in local road improvements.

But members of the campaign group SPLAT (Stop Pyestock bLot Act Today) said the proposal breaches a string of planning policies at all levels, roads around the site are already gridlocked at peak times and noise levels would exceed recommended limits.

SPLAT also warned the development would destroy the green gap between Fleet and Farnborough and cause noise, air and light pollution.

A number of councillors spoke out against the scheme including Sharyn Wheale, who warned the proposed 600-metre long noise barrier planned along the Minley Link would look like the Berlin Wall.

SPLAT spokeswoman Shan Healey said the group was delighted that the planning committee unanimously refused permission for such a "wholly inappropriate scheme" and vowed it would work even harder to ensure that it is rejected at appeal.

She thanked everyone for their support.

Chris Perkins, director of fund management at Prupim, said he was disappointed, particularly as council officers had previously recommended an initial larger proposal should be approved.

He said the company recognises that the application has generated opposition from residents but said there remains a very strong planning case for what it is proposing.

Mr Perkins added: "The proposals will clean up this contaminated site and bring it back into more productive use.

"The matter will now be considered in detail by an independent planning inspector at a public inquiry at which all parties, including objectors, will have their say."

For the full story see next week’s Fleet News.