Category: Planning & Environment

Warning that congestion woes could get worse – Local Council Won’t Listen To Residents


Community leaders spoke of their concerns about congestion and parking as plans for 79 homes at Brockhampton went on show.

Developer Orchard Homes wants to build 64 houses and 15 flats on green space to the south of Ranelagh Road, an area once used for allotments.

The meeting at Havant’s council chamber heard the land had been identified as an area that could accommodate 160 homes – and this could be phase one.

Havant Borough Council have already shown that they don’t care about local residents views by their continuing development approvals. They just play lip service to residents comments at review meetings. In the last couple of years every possible piece of greenfield that has been earmarked for development has gone through. The traffic problems brought about by this rampant development just get worse. This particular development will bring an extra 150 to 400 vehicles passing in and out of the area and will of course require somewhere to park.

Paul Basham, a transport consultant for the developers, told the meeting: ‘We are aware there is an existing problem there.

‘What we can do about this is a difficult situation.

‘We are working with Havant Borough Council to see what we can do, if anything.’

People’s comments will now be taken forward as developers work up a formal planning application.

Don’t hold your breath folks. The planners won’t have to live with their decisions. Nor will Paul Basham who says

‘We are working with Havant Borough Council to see what we can do, if anything.’

The implication there is that they will proceed regardless of if they can provide a solution thereby exacerbating the problem.
Warning that congestion woes could get worse – Local – The News.

Plans for business hub at Daedalus given the go-ahead


Thousand of new jobs can be expected for the region after plans for the creation of a huge new business hub were given the green light.

Outline planning permission to provide more than 1m sq ft of business space has been granted for the former HMS Daedalus airfield in Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent.

Good News for the Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent communities. Any potential for new jobs are always welcome.

Councillor Mark Hook, leader of Gosport council, said: ‘We are talking about creating potentially 4,500 jobs from this particular site.

‘What we are being asked is to kick-start the economy again here in Gosport. It’s jobs that are critical.’

4500 jobs is not to be sneezed at. I think the key word we should focus on in that statement is “potentially”. Nowhere do I see the local council publicising that any companies have committed to moving into the area.

There will also be more than 200 homes, some shops, allotments and a 34-acre public open space.

Nobody disputes that we need more homes in this area. More affordable homes. The big problem is where are all the jobs that are needed by the inhabitants of these homes. I refer you back to that word again ….. “potentially” 4500 jobs….

Another factor that might have slipped under the readers radar is a little matter of a new housing development planned for just north of Fareham. There they are planning to create over 7000 homes. The “potential” inhabitants of those properties also have their beady little eyes on jobs in the “The Daedalus enterprise zone”.

Underlying all of this is the total lack of infrastructure to support these plans.

Ian Lycett, chief executive of Gosport Borough Council, said: ‘The Daedalus enterprise zone is a vitally important project for Gosport. Not only will it create thousands of jobs for local people, but it will generate improvements to the surrounding infrastructure which will benefit all residents of the peninsula.’

Peter Grimwood, chief executive of Fareham Borough Council, added: ‘This is an important milestone in the development of Daedalus. We have always taken the view that the future of the site depends on the operation of a viable airfield.’

What I see here is, two different councils, each with their eye on the main chance.

Watch your backs !!!

For the moment, the only folks that I see will definitely gain from this is the developers.

Plans for business hub at Daedalus given the go-ahead – Politics – The News.

£1m McDonald’s Bedhampton drive-through gets green light


Yet another farcical decision by our local planners.

Have they ever visited this site ? How many times have they sat in the queue waiting to either get into Asda to go shopping or even just to go and get fuel. Many times I have seen the traffic backed out of the site and I have decided to go elsewhere or even just go home to return another day.

I think it is just what we need, more traffic entering the Asda site. Admittedly when the store is closed and the kiosk-pay petrol pumps are closed then there really won’t be an issue. However, for the rest of the time i.e. during waking and normal working hours this new development will surely add to the aggravation.

As usual there are the weasely words about creating jobs but what will happen to the McDonald’s branch in Waterlooville centre. I’m guessing that it will fade away in the evenings.

£1m McDonald’s Bedhampton drive-through gets green light – Politics – The News.