Controversial plans for a development of more than 400 homes on agricultural land have been approved by councillors.

Opponents to the major scheme in Ringwood said Crest Nicholson South’s application was “contrived”.

Members of New Forest District Council’s planning committee approved the plans for land north of Moortown Lane at a meeting this month, having deferred making a decision back in September.

Over the past two months, the applicant, district council officers and Ringwood Town Council held further talks about the development.

Despite “concessions” from Crest Nicholson, they failed to address the town council’s objections to the hybrid application.

Full planning permission was given for the first 150-home phase of the scheme, while outline permission was obtained for a further 293 homes, with all matters reserved except for access.

A Crest Nicholson spokesperson: “We are grateful for the New Forest District Council’s planning committee decision to approve our plans for the land off Moortown Lane in Ringwood.

“We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders locally to deliver much-needed high-quality new homes for the region on this important site.”

Overall the scheme features 40 one-bed, 180 two-bed, 122 three-bed and 101 four-bed plus homes.

The majority (310) would be sold on the open market, with 47 social rented, 46 affordable rented and 40 shared ownership.

At the committee meeting on November 13, Ringwood Town Council member Mary Deboos described the application as “contrived”, with an outstanding issue over whether rooms labelled as “study rooms” would actually be marketed as bedrooms.

This concern was shared by Ringwood South district councillor Jeremy Heron, who claimed it was an “attempt to circumvent this council’s policies and takes us for fools”.

He added: “If we accept it now, we will be the district with the highest number of study rooms in the world.”

The town council said the application did not comply with multiple elements of the recently adopted Ringwood Neighbourhood Plan.

Fellow Ringwood South district councillor Steve Rippon-Swaine said this scheme was the first “major test” of these local policies.

“It [the neighbourhood plan] was approved by an extraordinarily large majority of the community and we are ignoring it. Not a good day,” Cllr Rippon-Swaine said.

The applicant’s agent, Jim Bevan of Savills, said Crest Nicholson would be selling the properties at the bedroom numbers listed in the plans.

He highlighted the level of affordable homes in the scheme and the overall contribution the development would make to the district’s housing supply.

Planning committee member Cllr John Sleep said the inclusion of study rooms seemed “perfectly logical” given society’s change in working habits since the pandemic.

Cllr Malcolm Wade, who is also on the committee, said he would support the scheme “sadly and reluctantly”.

“Here we are again,” Cllr Wade said. “We have a development that’s coming in our district that’s deeply unpopular with local members and no doubt local residents.

“A plethora of reasons why they don’t want it there but we know we haven’t built enough houses.”

There was not unanimous committee support for the application, with Cllr Janet Richards suggesting that it should be rejected.

The planning permission included requirements to provide £4.4million towards local infrastructure, as well as alternative natural recreational space.

Work on phase one of the development is expected to begin in spring 2025.