Category: Local (To Me !!!)

Employment boost as Waterlooville business park plans are unveiled


I have been a tad busy with work for the last few weeks and have found it virtually impossible to get my head into blog mode let alone focus on local affairs. So I am sorry but this is old news but I wanted to bring it to your attention.

Finally, The News has discovered the planned development right here in Waterlooville. No not the enormous housing development known as WoW (West of Waterlooville). Even The News knows about that. No I’m referring to the development of the BAE site that I brought to your attention in my previous post

This is another of the Havant Borough Council / Portsmouth City Council/ East Hants Council job creation schemes. At least that’s what they say on paper. All of the proposed developments around Waterlooville are supposed to be creating jobs. But not one of them is being sponsored by any company that has signed up to move into the area and actually create those jobs.

The various councils will argue that you have to create the right conditions, prepare the environment to entice these erstwhile employers into the area. However, my fear is that what will be created will be empty commercial / industrial buildings.

We will have the new housing developments filled with a willing work force but no one to employ them. It is easier to build homes and to fill them than it is to get businesses started.

Just listen to the news regarding the economy and the apparent unwillingness of the banks to lend to businesses. To be quite honest I also wonder about the ability of folks to obtain mortgages to buy the new homes being built.

Employment boost as Waterlooville business park plans are unveiled – News – Portsmouth News.

How Winter Road has changed in the last 80 years


I lived in Winter Road, 43 years ago, when I moved to Pompey to start my Fitter and Turner apprenticeship. I was sharing digs there, with a number of other dockyard apprentices, for just over a year before moving on to a new place in St. Davids Road.

What is amazing is the lack of motor vehicles in the photo accompanying the article in the News.

How Winter Road has changed in the last 80 years – Remember When – Portsmouth News.

Ha Ha Missed Me


Just come home after picking my wife up from work.

The blue meanies are working Frendstaple Road, at the entrance to Woods Edge,  close to home with a hand-held speed trap.

Sorry but I was on the wrong side of the road, sneaking up behind him.

Phew !!!

View From The Conservatory


Fox In The Garden – July 2007

My lucky day today.

I had just gone to look out the window when I spotted a movement behind the Buddleia. Out strolled an adult fox.

Not your usual reddish brown this one. No, he was more your builders sand in colour with a dark. almost black, stripe saddling his nose.

So he took a quick look around then, deciding the coast was clear, he ambled across the lawn looking from side to side until he disappeared past the apple tree.

I am glad that they are still around. I hadn’t seen the foxes about for sometime. The picture above was taken five years ago.

Waterlooville Community Forum – Next Meeting


Do you live in the Waterlooville area ?

Do you care about what is happening to your town and the surrounds ?

Are you concerned about our town centre and the number of empty shops ?

Are you concerned about the amount of traffic on our roads ?

Are you concerned about the amount of development in our district ?

If you do and you want to have your say then you should come along to the next meeting of The Waterlooville Community Forum where you can discuss this and much more.

As an example of subject matter discussed, at a recent meeting of the forum we had a presentation from Vail Williams regarding the BAE Site in Waterlooville. This was an early look at the proposed development of that site.

The next meeting of Waterlooville Community Forum will take place on Thursday, July 26.

The meeting will start at 5.30pm at the Baptist Church in London Road.

Anyone with any queries can email davidscrichton@compuserve.com.

Issues to be debated in Waterlooville – News – Portsmouth News.

New Development Proposed For Waterlooville BAE Site


Proposals have been put forward to Havant Borough Council for the development of the BAE site in Waterlooville. This site comprises the land bounded by Elettra Avenue, Silverthorne Way and Hambledon Road.

These proposals include

  • 60+ Bedroom Hotel
  • Restaurant
  • Drive Thru Restaurant
  • Car Show Room
  • Industrial Units
BAE_Site_Plan

If these proposals go ahead they could bring many benefits to the town, not the least of which would be the employment opportunities.

However, this would also be tempered by the additional industrial traffic that would be required to service the new industrial units at the heart of this proposal.

I have a growing concern that many of the new developments, being proposed for the Waterlooville area, include industrial units but there is no sign of the businesses that are going to take up these new properties. In the meantime there are many existing industrial units  that remain empty.

Waterlooville seems set to be swamped with such “opportunities”. One only has to look to the plans for the Dunsbury Hill Farm site.

Havant Borough Council and the developers are always quick to point to the number of jobs that these developments will create. However, they aren’t so quick to highlight that these are “potential” jobs. At no time do you see them parading a list of employers who have committed to move into these new premises.

Of course, in such economic times as ours it is always good to be prepared for the upturn.

And how about the existing Aston Road industrial estate. That could do with a bit of a facelift. It really does look a bit tired now.

Going From Drab To Worse


The Boulevard – Waterlooville

 

The colour scheme chosen for the upgrade of this part of the Waterlooville town centre was dull, dull, dull. To my mind the refurbishment took a tired pedestrian precinct and turned it into a replica of a 50/60s vision of a modern town centre.

All that aside I was amazed to see that these new features are already starting to look tatty. It won’t be long before the scabs start to fall off.

Close Up – Boulevard – Waterlooville