Hants – WrAnTz

Too Little, Too Late

I am pleased to see that finally the council is doing something positive about the dire state of Waterlooville centre. But, I fear it is too little, too late.

I also believe the council is being, somewhat, disingenuous, blaming the pandemic for the current state of Waterlooville Town centre.

Waterlooville has been slowly decomposing since the main road was diverted, and the centre was pedestrianised.

Yes, the pandemic has not helped, and yes, the current economic difficulties are compounding the issues. Long before the pandemic, traders were complaining about the cost of leasing the shop units. Costs that due to falling footfall they could not afford to renew.

I would like to know what the council is doing to mitigate the high tenancy costs.

The Havant Borough Council planning authorities have been gung ho on taking business away from the town centre. Following the out-off town shopping model that they have also applied to Havant itself. Both Havant and Waterlooville have been subdivided. Large stores on one side of the highway whilst the smaller shops left in town struggle to keep going.

Making monies available to assist potential businesses to get a foothold will be a fruitless exercise without custom.

The recent change of car parking charges will help, but again, I fear it is too late. Especially now that Wilkos has gone bust.

Yes, you can now park for up to three hours but Wilkos was prime reason for many folks to park there.

Havant Borough Council, you need to do more.

£4.2m development approved – Ignores Needs Of Locals

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/politics/controversial-ps42m-housing-development-portsmouth-gets-go-ahead-2951117

Yet another development goes ahead, driving rough shod over the needs of, and ignoring the existing issues that plague, the local residents.

Proposals for 16 affordable homes, comprising 7 houses and 9 flats, to be built on the corner of Doyle Avenue and Nothern Parade in Hilsea.

16 homes, but with parking provision for only 12 cars. According to the councils own standards the site should provide 29 parking spaces, yet they approved this much reduced proposal.

Why ? Why have guidelines if you don’t stick to them ?

“The surrounding roads are past saturation point as confirmed by the highways engineer. Evenings and weekends are dire as people are parking illegally” So says Janet Rennell-Smith, a local resident from nearby Westwood Road.

Lib Dem Councillor Lee Hunt, not missing an opportunity for a dig at the current Conservative Government, said “The city council is under huge pressure from the Conservative government to build 12,000 new units of accomodation in or city and that’s what we’re trying to acheive”

Typical blame game from the Lib Dems, sounds like our honorable councillor is saying “It’s not our fault, we were just following orders”

Tory Councillor, Terry Norton, was at least prepared to stand up to all that “pressure” and requested that the proposal be rejected.

This is typical of the local councils, in this area, who crumble and give in to the all powerful developers rather that standing firm and considering the needs of their constituents, the folks that voted them into office in the first place.

Our councillors should be forcing developers to provide adequate parking for any new development and to ensure that any such development does not exacerbate any existing issues.

Portsmouth is an island city so is cannot expand past its coastal border. Any development that provides an increase residential units will always add to the traffic and the need for parking. Portsmouth is already blighted by a lack of available parking. Many folks cannot park outside their own homes, typically ending up several streets away. Portsmoth council has also created further parking issues after closing roads in Southsea, supposedly to protect people exercising during the pandemic lockdown.

This new development will only aggravate an already fractious situaion.