All Developments, Murrell Green

Action Needed: Murrell Green Planning Application (26/01201/OUT)

Public Consultation Now Open

In July, we advised that an outline planning application for one of the biggest housing developments that Hart has ever received was open for residents to view the plans make their formal comments.

The site was not included in the Hart Local Plan which residents voted on. Hart District Council was over delivering the Local Plan targets until earlier this year when a change in government policy doubled the housing targets overnight. As a consequence, Hart is now considered to be failing to meet its targets and has no formal Local Plan in place. This has led to developers taking the opportunity to submit planning applications all over the district. You may have seen Alex Brewer, the Local MP, challenging this in Parliament on our behalf as there was no time given to revise their plan.

This unplanned application seeks outline permission for up to 2,160 homes which will effectively join Hook, through Murrell Green and to the Odiham Road/ Jet garage in Hartley Wintney and towards Winchfield station. For context, the development is:

  • A settlement larger than Hartley Wintney.
  • Approximately 55% of the size of Hook in terms of housing numbers.
  • Around four times larger than the North East Hook development around Sainsburys.

If you wish to comment, the current consultation deadline published by Hart District Council is showing as 13th August 2026. However, we have been assured that comments will be accepted and reviewed until at least the middle of September. We will keep you updated if this date changes again but we strongly encourage residents to submit their comments well before the deadline wherever possible.

Please remember that every person in your household can comment and anyone impacted can comment e.g. visitors.

Where to review the Application and Submit Your Comments

Residents can view the application documents and submit comments via Hart District Council’s planning portal: publicaccess.hart.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=TIA5A8HZKTR00

Every representation submitted during the consultation period will be considered by Hart District Council as part of the planning process.

When you log onto the Hart Planning portal to make your comment, you need to look for “Log in to make a comment” . Depending on which search engine and device you use, it seems to move about on the screen so you might need to look carefully!

If you cannot access the portal from any reason then you can email or write
Email: planningadmin@hart.gov.uk
Write: Hart DC Planning, Fleet, GU51 4AE
You must include your name, address and Planning Reference 26/01201/OUT

Why This Matters

As we said, this is one of the largest planning applications ever submitted in Hart.

The proposal seeks outline permission for up to 2,160 homes, together with associated roads, schools, community facilities and infrastructure. If approved, it would fundamentally change the character of this part of Hart and have implications well beyond the application site.

The impacts would be felt across Hook, Hartley Wintney, Winchfield, Murrell Green and neighbouring communities through increased pressure on:

  • Local roads and traffic,
  • GP surgeries and healthcare services,
  • Schools and education provision,
  • Water resources and drainage,
  • The natural environment and biodiversity and
  • The rural character and separation between our villages.

It should be noted that this Application is not following the Local Plan process that residents have invested years in. Hart is currently reviewing the Local Plan to incorporate the doubled housing targets and therefore should this site not form part of that process so that they maintain at least some control over planning matters?

A Land Promotor can produce a glossy brochure, such as the one we see for Murrell Green, which promises the world- an abundance of affordable housing, buses, schools, cycle lanes, employment opportunities, childcare, health, green space, no noise from the M3, saving the wildlife etc. but once the Application is approved, they have made their profit and leaves, then it is up to developers to decide what is built and whether the promised services materialise. For example it is well publicised that there is a shortage of water supply across our area and issues with sewerage, the roundabouts in Hook are running at capacity, stats can say that we have enough doctors but how long are the queues? Can these services cope with another 5,000? residents using them and so far we cannot establish if these issues will be resolved.

Please Have Your Say

We encourage everyone to review the application and submit their own comments before the consultation closes.

The most effective representations are those that focus on relevant planning matters for example traffic, infrastructure, flooding, the Whitewater chalk stream, landscape, ecology, environmental impacts, heritage, planning policy and the capacity of local services such as doctors, dentists, education and childcare.

To clarify the extent and possible layout of the current application, the diagram below is a copy from the application materials. Note the proposed development extends from the edge of Bassets Mead in Hook up to the road from Phoenix Green towards Winchfield Station (B3016). Next time you drive down the A30 take a moment to notice and appreciate just how vast the site is.

A Collaborative Community Response

A proposal of this scale affects many communities across Hart and raises a wide range of planning issues.

We have been working with our own Hook Parish Council, Winchfield Parish Council and various other actions groups to review the 171 supporting planning documents and will we will continue to share information that we believe will help residents understand the application and prepare their own comments.

An example of working together is that Hook Parish Council has asked us to lead on keeping Hook residents and other Hook Action Against Over Development subscribers up to date. Thanks to support from the Parish Council, we will deliver leaflets to each house in Hook. In addition, we will keep you up to date with newsletters highlighting the key planning issues, banners etc. We will also work very closely with Winchfield and have some joint projects planned.

A Winchfield group has created a new website which offers information on the Application which you are welcome to access, it is called MurrellGreen.info. This contains the Planning Application Documentation, guidance, links to the Parish Council and feedback from the We Heart Hart group and we are also contributing material. Both Winchfield and Hook Parish Councils and other parties will also produce documentation in due course to help residents understand the issues and of course we will aim to help & guide you through the process.

Below we have included a statement that Hook Parish Council have published summarising their current activities. Key points to note include:

  1. The Hook Parish Council Planning and Infrastructure Committee will hold an extraordinary meeting on 12th August 2026 at 7:30pm in the Bartley room Map here. This meeting will provide an opportunity for those groups or individuals that wish to, to present their views on the development (positive and negative) to the Parish Council. The Parish Council are not a determining body for planning applications, but will be submitting a formal response to Hart District Council in due course. The extraordinary meeting will ensure Parish Councillors from the Planning and Infrastructure Committee are able to hear directly from residents before considering the application in detail and agreeing a response at a future meeting. Please note there is a capacity limit in the Bartley room of 45 people, but an audio feed will also be streamed live via Teams using this link. Hook Action Against Over Development plan to speak at that meeting, as may representatives from other Parish Councils. Please keep an eye on the Parish Council website and Facebook page for more information.
  2. The Parish Council have received many comments from the public regarding the application, but they have asked us to remind you that you must also submit your comments to the application formally on the Hart District Council website (link above) to ensure that your feedback is formally recognised. They would hate for your comments to not be considered by the formal planning process.
  3. Hook Parish Council are working with other Parish Councils and will be creating summary documentation to help residents understand the application. Understandably this will take some time due to the complexity and quantity of documentation

As ever, if you are an expert in any of the areas, please get in touch.

Hook Parish Council Public Notice

Lightwood Land Ltd have submitted an outline planning application 26/01201/OUT to Hart District Council for up to 2,160 homes at Murrell Green. This is a substantial proposed development and there is likely to be significant local interest. To promote awareness of the application and help empower Hook residents seeking to make comments to the District Council, Hook Parish Council is taking a number of actions.

  • We have already sought an extension to the publicised public consultation period to ensure sufficient time to consider the comprehensive submission. Senior officers at Hart District Council have agreed comments can be made online using this link until at least the 1st of September. A longer extension of time has been sought and an update on this will follow.
  • We have agreed to provide initial financial support to Hook Action Against Overdevelopment to publicise the potential consequences of the development and help mobilise the local community to provide responses to the proposals.
  • In addition to our usual planned calendar of meetings, we are holding an extraordinary meeting on 12th August 2026 at 7:30pm in the Bartley room Map here. This meeting will provide an opportunity for those groups or individuals that wish to, to present their views on the development (positive and negative) to the Parish Council. We are not a determining body for planning applications, but we will be submitting a formal response to Hart District Council in due course. The extraordinary meeting will ensure Parish Councillors from the Planning and Infrastructure Committee are able to hear directly from residents before considering the application in detail and agreeing our response at a future meeting. Please note there is a capacity limit in the Bartley room of 45 people, but an audio feed will also be streamed live via Teams using this link.
  • Parish Councillors will also be meeting with neighbouring Parish Councils to discuss the proposals and share information as the impact of a development of this scale has the potential to be widespread.
  • A summary of the main aspects of the development will be prepared by the Parish Council to help residents navigate the complex planning submission and exhaustive number of documents that have been submitted. The summary will be available on the Parish Council website and via the Teams link for the extraordinary meeting. It is hoped this will help provide clarity and facilitate informed feedback, so residents are able to submit comments ahead of the September deadline.
  • We will keep our website updated with key information and guidance throughout the process.