Plans for an enterprise and data centre between Fleet and Farnborough have received a cautious welcome from the community.

Kenmore Land Farnborough wants to build the complex, which will include hi-tech and flexible business units, on the Cody Technology Park on the border of Hart and Rushmoor.

The firm has revised its plans after baker Warburtons pulled out as development partner for the site, which sits across the road from the controversial Pyestock site.

Residents were able to view the latest scheme during public exhibitions at Ancells Farm Community Centre in Fleet and Southwood Golf Club in Farnborough.

A Kenmore spokesman said: “Overall the feedback we received was pretty positive.

“Transport is a key concern but people understand we are trying to mitigate those fears so on the whole they were pretty happy.

“They like the idea of the data centres and the hi-tech element of the enterprise centre.”

Among those who viewed the latest plans were campaigners fighting plans for a massive warehouse on the former Pyestock site nearby.

Shan Healey, a spokeswoman for SPLAT (Stop Pyestock bLot Act Today) said she was pleased that Kenmore had taken a lot of its previous comments on board.

“It’s a very hi-tech concept and there are some spectacular artist’s impressions,” she said.

“They envisage a series of hi-tech enterprise units that they want to be modern-looking, like the buildings at Farnborough Airport.

“The highest building will be two storeys high, so it would not urbanise the area, and they do not envisage many lorries going to and from the site at all. There may be a few but it definitely won’t be a round the clock operation like the one planned for Pyestock.

“If something like that was planned for Pyestock we’d all be jumping for joy but sadly that’s not what they are proposing.”

Mrs Healey said the proposals sought to support the existing hi-tech knowledge economy.

“That sort of thing pleases us because it will mean jobs for local people rather than a lot of in-commuting, which we really do not need or want,” she said.

“It seems that Kenmore really do want to consult with the community over their proposals, which is totally the opposite to the Prudential and their plans for Pyestock.”

SPLAT leader Bob Schofield added: “As a concept it’s probably better than the concept of Pyestock.

“Obviously something like a data centre would be good because it would have a low transport use and would fit in well with the area.

“It’s a relatively low-key development and not a 24-hour operation, which is good. In principle it’s quite a well thought-out development.

“If we could have eight data centres on Pyestock then it would be a wonderful solution.”

Mr Schofield said his only concern was how the scheme fitted in with policy DEV 13 in Hart District Council’s Local Plan development blueprint.

The policy states that employment uses on the site would be permitted providing the rural character and the open nature of the strategic gap was not affected.

Mr Schofield was also concerned about the amount of energy that would be needed to supply the proposed development.

“The power demand for the development would be huge,” he added.

“There would need to be a sub-station on the site and an awful lot of cooling, which I cannot see on the plans.

“It’s a site that’s reasonably remote from most development.

“But the noise, if there was any, would go straight across the golf course to Southwood again.”

Brian Tucker, chairman of Southwood Residents Association, said he could not currently comment on behalf of the association committee as it had not had a chance to discuss the proposals or obtain opinion from the residents of Southwood.

Mr Tucker said the first the association knew of the new proposals was towards the end of last week.

He added: “In my opinion it is good that the developer wants to get people on side and seems willing to adjust the designs to get a development that both meets their needs and is acceptable to residents.

“However, we are at an early stage and will have to see how the final proposals have been affected by comments from people who attended the welcome exhibitions in Ancells Farm and Southwood Golf Club.”

A Kenmore spokesman said about 80 people attended the Ancells Farm exhibition on Friday and around 60 on Saturday.

About another 65 attended the exhibition at Southwood Golf Club on Monday.

He said the main concern at both exhibitions was about traffic.

“At the Southwood exhibition the main concern was about the amount of traffic using the Nokia roundabout and the Kennel Lane junction,” the spokesman added.

“We also need to look at landscaping on the site, which was another concern.

“Overall people are a lot happier with this development than the Warburtons proposal and see it as a good use of the site.

“Some workers from Qinetiq attended and said that the proposals were pretty much in line with what was envisaged for the site in the first place.

“One person was so interested in the proposals that he asked us when the scheme would get off the ground and what the prices would be.”

Kenmore hopes to lodge a planning application with Hart District Council by early October.