"...the principle of retail and leisure use on the site is contrary to national and local policy and guidance which strongly supports a town centre first approach..." - Hart District Council response to pre-application, April 2020

Fleet town centre has numerous empty retail units and many of its retailers are struggling due to lack of footfall. Another supermarket outside the town centre will give people fewer reasons to visit Fleet town centre and lead to even more empty units.

Elvetham Heath is a residential development, so this site is more suited for residential development. Would it be better to develop the site to help address the shortage of affordable homes in the area?

"The extent of built development proposed would extend well beyond the existing hardstanding area. This, and the proposed layout, would likely result in harm to landscape, trees and ecology..." - Hart District Council response to pre-application, April 2020

There is already a large Morrisons supermarket with a petrol station on Elvetham Heath that draws in considerable road traffic from the wider area. In addition to the shoppers there are regular visits by articulated delivery lorries and tankers serving the petrol station. At peak times on weekdays there are long queues of traffic approaching the development's western exit onto the Fleet Road roundabout. Another supermarket may attract up to twice as much non-residential traffic onto Elvetham Heath and it will double the number of articulated delivery lorries. As traffic will approach from both the eastern (Ancell's) entrance and the western (Fleet Road) entrance, traffic density will increase along the entire length of Elvetham Heath Way. This will affect not only the south western extremity of Elvetham Heath - it will affect Elvetham Heath in its entirety.

"Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to public health and, like asbestos, is a cause of cancer." - addresspollution.org

You can access an air quality report by entering your postcode into this tool developed with data from Imperial College. We can see most addresses on Elvetham Heath already have high levels, or very high levels of air pollution that exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) limits.

Another supermarket may attract up to twice as much non-residential traffic onto Elvetham Heath, and this can only serve to drive these already dangerous levels of air pollution even higher.

The increased road traffic will generate increased noise levels along the whole length of Elvetham Heath Way. Those living close to the proposed development will suffer from increased noise from parking cars, delivery lorries, clattering supermarket trolleys, plus engine noise and loud music from traffic using the drive through restaurant. The character of the nearby peaceful residential areas where birds can be heard singing - albeit above the existing drone of the motorway - will be changed forever.

We all want to live in a clean environment we can be proud of. A drive through fast food outlet will be used mostly by non-residents who care little for our local environment. According to the Great British Spring Clean survey of 2018, fast food-related litter accounts for up to 54% of all litter. If this proposal is accepted, then we will see more litter around our homes and the surrounding landscape. And it will cost us more money to clear it up: In the pre-pandemic year ending 21st March 2019, Elvetham Heath Parish Council spent £10,675 of your money to deal with litter and fly-tipping. How much more will be needed if there is a drive through fast food outlet on our doorstep?

A fast food restaurant with a large car park will likely be a magnet for groups of young drivers to showcase their pimped up cars with loud sound systems. It could provide a fabulous meeting point for county lines drug dealers along the route many of our children take to and from Calthorpe Park School.