Janice R. Andrews
The people living in Little London, a small Hampshire village next to Basingstoke, are incensed by what they see as the excessive expansion of their neighborhood by affluent Londoners. Locals are taking action against what they perceive to be “greedy” developers due to concerns about rapidly rising home prices and inadequate infrastructure.
With only a few hundred residents, Little London is experiencing an influx of immigrants looking for “country pads,” raising concerns about unsustainable growth. The community is ill-prepared to handle an increase in population since it lacks essential services like street lights and stores.
Carol Donner, 65, and other longtime locals are organizing protests against the inflow of pricey home constructions and highlighting the historical significance of the community and the need to maintain its rural nature. Donner and his fellow villagers are adamantly against any new construction proposals and in favor of options for cheap housing that benefit the current residents of the town.
Tom Cullum, a 37-year resident, called the state of affairs “horrendous,” emphasizing the quick growth of expensive properties and the consequent rise in traffic. In addition to housing affordability, there are worries about the projects’ potential effects on the environment and the possibility that they would encroach on neighboring woodlands such as Pamber Forest.
Similar remarks were made by Kevin Chatburn, chair of the Tadley and Pamber Rural Protection group, who emphasized the importance of protecting the surrounding environment and addressing the dearth of housing alternatives for locals, especially the youth.
Persistent protests on planning portals, which raise issues with the village’s character and the burden on local resources, are indicative of the community’s general reluctance to additional development.
The disagreement draws attention to more general concerns about rural development and housing affordability, highlighting the difficulties small towns facing gentrification and urban migration face.
