Plans for more than a dozen much-needed social and affordable homes on a former golf course near Bordon have been rejected – despite strong support from councillors and the local community.

Kingsley Parish Council (KPC) supported plans by Merlion Housing Association Limited to build 14 homes on the Dean Farm Golf Course site in the village, calling it a “sensible and sustainable area for development”.

They even made reference to increased targets in their response and said the development would help meet affordable housing needs in the village.

But although the site was also labelled everything from “well connected” to “logical and appropriate”, the proposals for the Forge Road site were rejected by East Hampshire District Council.

Seven reasons were given for refusal with the design of the estate and its proximity to sensitive wildlife sites and the tennis-padel unit next door being among them.

Planning officers also noted that some of the three-bedroom houses would fail to provide an “appropriate standard of internal living accommodation” while the estate’s appearance was also criticised.

The decision notice stated: “It will result in incongruous development, which would appear at odds with the character and appearance of the established wider surroundings.”

Alresford-based Merlion wanted to provide four one-bedroom social, affordable or intermediate rent units and ten affordable homes, with a mixture of two or three bedrooms.

They also held a presentation at the Kingsley Centre earlier this year, and stated in their submissions that the EHDC Housing Development Team had identified the 0.42 hectare site for potential affordable housing.

“Overall, we consider this proposal to be a measured and well-integrated extension to the village,” said KPC in response, saying the estate offered a “positive contribution towards meeting both local and district-level housing needs.”

But even with a glaring lack of objections, EHDC said no.