To a certain extent, he is correct. The Internet is a contributing factor but not the sole reason Waterlooville is in such a sorry state.
And, of course, 60’s architecture isn’t wholly to blame either. But, it doesn’t help to alleviate the sad, drab appearance of Waterlooville centre.
Bright sunshine goes a long way to enhance the appearance of the shop fronts. But despite the sunshine, what is notable is the lack of people. Just two people walking thru and nobody sitting at the tables outside the cafe.
Compare that view to the picture I took last week on a dull day.
Not a single person in sight and no amount of sunshine is going to improve this view.
A significant factor in Waterloovilles’ demise was the decision to divert the A3 and to pedestrianise the main thoroughfare and therefore removing passing trade.
Further planning decisions to allow the development of retail parks away from the town centre have further reduced the footfall needed to sustain the businesses that have disappeared over the years.
The diverted A3 subdivided Waterlooville, and with the retail park providing free parking, while the town centre car parks charged for the dubious pleasure, there was further incentive to stay away.
Blaming the Internet is too easy and distracts from the part that Havant Borough Council had to play in getting Waterlooville to its current state.
Deluded because she is annoyed that folks, when they visit, can’t see the councils plans.
Journalist Christopher Howse of The Telegraph published an article on the demise of Waterlooville. He presented his view after a single visit.
Well, I found myself in Waterlooville centre at around 13:00 on Monday and I think Mr Howse is pretty spot on.
Although there were a few people wandering around, they didn’t look much like shoppers, more they were just passing through. With no shop fronts to attract them, invite them to pause a while and browse. It all looked pretty desolate.
All that was missing was some tumbleweed blowing around.
Despite the best efforts of those businesses actually open, it is not an attractive place to be.
There are many barber shops here, but all but one had no customers. The bored proprietors were sitting drinking coffee or fizzy pop.
The coffee shops all seemed to be fairly busy, but due to a distinct lack of interest in chipboard, there wasn’t much to keep me window shopping.
After around 45 mins, I had completed a full circuit of the town centre and took myself off to join the coffee drinkers.
I’m sorry, Councillor Robinson, but visual impressions of the town don’t convey the potential that HBC plans to build on. I really do applaud HBC for what they are trying to do, but as I have said before, I fear it is too little too late.
A misguided HBC has mishandled the planning of both Waterlooville and Havant centres, and the local residents are paying the price
Over the years, I have, in several posts, made some disparaging remarks about the state of our town (village) centre.
How it is slowly decomposing, and becoming something of a ghost town.
Well it seems we have now come to the attention of The Telegraph, one Britain’s national broadsheets.
The English high street: Waterlooville, Hampshire – how a town centre dies
This has become an object lesson in how a thriving town can be ruined by poor building and haphazard planning
This is the opening salvo of a sad description of how Havant Borough Council planners have mismanaged the development of Waterlooville and then, having fouled it up they have sat back to let the rot set in.
“Wellington Way Shopping Centre, right at the heart of the town,” says its website. “Offers a great mix of high-street names and boutiques. Come on down and enjoy the atmosphere.”
This is followed by …
You would have to be deranged to enjoy the atmosphere.
I have long bemoaned the fact that the planners diverted the A3 London Road to dogleg its way around the town centre. Effectively isolating the town centre from the new shopping experience that is the Wellington Way Retail Park. The Telegraph had this to say …
Since 1983, the A3 has roared in a dog-leg bypass, leaving the London Road, the main shopping street, as a comfortless pedestrian open space.
I note that the Telegraph didn’t comment on that part of the retail park experience which is the parking.
Only a moron would create a retail park with two motor vehicle entrances but only one exit. Parking is free for a set period of time, monitored by NPR cameras. Many folks have found that they have been fined due to it taking over an hour to exit the car park, thereby exceeding the free period.
Don’t get me wrong. I know that HBC are working hard to turn things around. But, as I have also previously stated, I believe it to be too little, too late.
They have already subdivided the town centre by diverting and pedestrianising the A3. This is a change that they are highly unlikely to reverse.
Today, a Monday afternoon, I have just circumnavigated the town centre. There were a fair few people around, but it was a long way from the bustling town it was. And despite the clean-up work, it is drab, uninviting, and sad. The Telegraph are not far off the mark.
I moved into my current home in 1986, and one of the primary selling points for me was the green space at the front.
This green space, owned by the local council, had two large, over 80ft, mature Beech Trees, a mature Yew, and a number of other trees.
Under the trees, there was a grassy area maintained by Havant Borough Council (HBC).
The council employees would turn to several times a year to cut the grass and generally keep the area tidy.
So pleasant was this area that children used to gather in the shade of the trees, to play and on occasion picnic. Our own children and grandchildren used to play there too.
Over the years, the nature of this green space has changed. One of the great Beeches got sick and had to be taken down. Some branches on the remaining Beech had become so long and heavy that they had to be cut off lest they break under their own weight and cause catastrophic damage to the main trunk. All the tree surgery managed by HBC.
Unfortunately, while the standard of tree care has been exemplary, the same can not be said of general care of the area.
The open area has become a bit of a wilderness, with brambles taking over to such an extent that they are encroaching on the driveway shared by me and my neighbours.
In fact, the overspill of the brambles is such that some of our ubiquitous couriers have refused to drive down to make their deliveries.
My neighbours and I have contacted the council in the past, and someone has come along and cut back the undergrowth. But they, the HBC, are reactive, not proactive.
In fact, after I had complained, one of the workers, clearly disgruntled at having to come back after a less than satisfactory grass cutting session, took it upon himself to inform me that he had been in the job for twenty plus years and that they had never maintained this area.
I pointed out that the council workers used to ride their sit on mowers in circles around the trees. The same trees that are hidden behind the wild scrub and brambles, which now prevents access by the mowers.
The untamed undergrowth has brought with it another undesirable activity. People have used the bushes directly in front of my neighbours living room as an impromptu toilet. Standing, urinating while staring directly into her lounge.
And, then there is the footpath that subdivides the open area, which is nearly always covered in detritus from the trees. Leaves, twigs, and beech mast all combine to make the path albut unusable. At night time it can be quite dangerous. More so since the new street lights have been installed. They may well be less light polluting, but the nearest light has little or no effect on illuminating this pathway.
So there in a nutshell, is my personal view on the deteriorating standard of upkeep by HBC.
It’s a shame that HBC doesn’t seem to want to reduce my council tax in line with the reduced services.
The following image, published by The News, shows just one small part of the Waterlooville shopping centre. “Shopping Centre” is a loose term as there aren’t many shops. This particular area contains a couple of coffee and fast food eateries, tattoo parlour and hairdressers. Not really somewhere to go and browse. At the far end is Wilkos, which is scheduled for closure within the next week or so. This due to the collapse of the brand.
This area equates to approximately 20% of the available shop frontage in the town centre. The remaining 80% is in dire need of refurbishment and occupation. The picture below shows the total area that Havant Borough Council (HBC) are hoping to rejuvenate.
As I have said before, I applaud HBCs recent efforts. And the offer of grants to attract businesses into Waterlooville is most welcome. But, I fear it is too little too late.
Any business moving into this town centre is going to have to bring something special to the table. Something that will increase the footfall in the pedestrian area, both to benfit their own business but also to aid any other businesses that also take up HBCs offer.
If I analyse my own reasons for going into the centre of Waterlooville then it nets out to two, maybe three stores. Boots, Celebrations and the grocers. Boots is now a shadow of its former self and I wonder how much longer it will survive.
I used to be a regular shopper in Waitrose, Wilkos, and the butchers with occsional forays into clothes shops if my wife was with me. There also used to be quite a few charity shops but even they have thinned out.
So, there really isn’t much there anymore. Any new businesses need to be providing something really attractive to peek my interest.
I really do hope this new initiative by HBC bears fruit, but I won’t hold my breath.
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.
On Saturday 16th September, 2011 our local Tesco Express was burnt out. Along with the Tesco store we also lost our pharmacy and a Chinese take-away.
The News reported Thursday 29 March, 2012 that ….
Officials at Brookton 2000 Ltd, which owns the site, said they were working up a planning application for the rebuild of Tesco and the pharmacy.
Daniel Kaye, director of Brookton 2000 Ltd, based in Chandler’s Ford, said: ‘We have a team of professionals appointed and we are working on submitting an application. Then it is in the hands of the local authority.
‘Once we get planning permission, we can look to appoint contractors.
‘Unfortunately these things take longer than members of the general public think.’
Mr Kaye said the shops would be back open in 18 months’ time at the very latest. But he said he hoped the rebuild would be sooner.
On April 8th of this year I posted about how long it was taking for any work to begin to replace the afore-mentioned business premises.
Fort Lavender
Fifteen months have gone by since the fire and nothing seems to have happened on the site.
15 months on – Our Local Shops – Lavender Road, Waterlooville
The photo above shows that the roof has gone from the pharmacy and supermarket areas. The blue tarp covers some part of the chinese take-away roof where the fire brigade broke through, presumably to ensure that the fire wasn’t still burning out of sight.
The approval of the application, on 21st August, comes with some conditions.
1) The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of 3 years from the date on which this planning permission was granted.Reason: To comply with Section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
So we could be waiting some time before the rebuild gets started. It would have been better from a residents perspective if the council had enforced a more stringent timetable.
3) No development hereby permitted shall be commenced until a detailed soft landscaping scheme for all open parts of the site not proposed to be hard-surfaced has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Such scheme shall specify the proposed finished ground levels in relation to the existing levels, the distribution and species of ground cover to be planted, the positions, species and planting sizes of the trees and shrubs to be planted and/or retained, and timing provisions for completion of the implementation of all such landscaping works.
The implementation of all such approved landscaping shall be completed in full accordance with such approved timing provisions. Any tree or shrub planted or retained as part of such approved landscaping scheme which dies or is otherwise removed within the first 5 years shall be replaced with another of the same species and size in the same position during the first available planting season.
Reason: To ensure the appearance of the development is satisfactory and having due regard to policies CS11, CS16 and DM8 of the Havant Borough Core Strategy 2011 which form part of the Local Development Framework and National Planning Policy Framework, March 2012.
It’s good to see that work cannot commence until the really important issues have been thrashed out. I would have thought it was more important to get a major part of the local infrastructure reinstated i.e. rebuild and reopen the stores, rather than argue over the type of shrubs to be planted.
4) The buildings shall not be occupied until space for the loading, unloading and parking of vehicles has been provided within the site, surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved details. Such areas shall thereafter be permanently retained and used solely for those purposes.
Reason: In the interests of highway safety and having due regard to policy DM13 of the Havant Borough Core Strategy 2011 which forms part of the Local Development Framework and National Planning Policy Framework, March 2012.
This condition has me confused. The original goods entrance and specifically the area immediately in front of it appears, according to the proposed ground floor plan, to be allocated as disabled parking. If this is for the “sole” use of the disabled, where will goods vehicles load and unload ?
According to the plans there will be a new construction and entrance at the northern end of the building, immediately adjacent to Lavender Road. If that is intended to be used as the main goods entrance into the building, implying that the goods vehicles are to be parked in Lavender Road, we will have a road safety disaster on our hands. The parking of articulated lorries in this area of the road has already caused several near misses to my knowledge.
I would have preferred to have seen some provision for goods vehicle access or at the very minimum a restriction placed on the supermarket operator to only use small to medium-sized vans for the delivery of stock. It isn’t only Tesco vehicles in the past that have caused problems as I have seen articulated lorries delivering milk and bread to this site.
So, when are we going to get our local shops back ?
The pharmacy has been trying to maintain its presence by operating out of a converted industrial container. Word from the container has it that they will be returning to a proper shop around Easter 2013.
Mr Daniel Kay, that’s 20 months. not “18 months at the latest” ….. nor is it “sooner”
Some of the folks who used to work at the burnt out Tesco Express have been redeployed to Tesco’s Grassmere Way Store. Or maybe that’s Tempest Road. Not sure since Tesco can’t seem to make up their own mind according to their own web site. As we locals know Tempest Road is actually Tempest Avenue. But I digress.
Having spoken to some of the Lavender Road expats it seems that they have not heard anything about Tesco resuming operations.
Is this because Tescos will not be coming back ? If not, then who will be operating from the rebuilt store and when ?
By the way, going back to the Tesco website, they don’t seem to have noticed that their store is no longer open. They still show the Lavender Road store as being open seven days a week.
So says Councillor Mike Fairhurst following last nights decision to allow 92 new homes at Scratchface Lane, Bedhampton.
Many councillors obviously feel that local councils will be held to ransom by the spending power of big businesses who due to their wealth can afford a war of attrition. They know that local councils are on tight budgets and cannot afford the costs associated with going to appeal and losing. Once central government inspectors have voted against local council decisions the flood gates are opened.
‘I’m exceedingly angry. I would reject this but I can’t. I’m up for a fight as much as the next man. I don’t like being dictated to by some bloke in Bristol (the planning inspector).
‘But I have a head as well as a heart and I ask myself what will happen if I reject this? The application will go to appeal, that’s a certainty. It’s not like we will pay the fine and not get the houses. We will get the houses anyway. In a word, we’re stuffed.’
This development will go ahead and the local residents will be the ones who pay the price.
The roads in this area are quite narrow and the egress to main exit routes already become quite congested. This development is too large for the area and any concerns about motorway noise have already been disregarded.
Jim Graham a resident of Brooklands Road, the main site access, says
This has been going on for five years now. All I can hope is that the borough does not live to regret this decision.
Mr Graham, Havant Borough Council won’t regret this decision. They will take their tariff from the developers and will happily collect the council tax from the new residents. It will be the current residents in the area that will regret this decision, who will have to put up with the additional traffic. It will be the new residents who will have to put up with the noise and the dust from the motorway.
I am afraid the council will not regret this decision, they will just move on to their next planning disaster of which they have many on the boil.
The application can be viewed at Havant Borough Councils planning pages HERE
Building work is forging ahead on Purbrook Place, one of the latest housing developments in the Waterlooville area.
Purbrook Place – 03/10/2012
Permission was granted for the construction of 76 homes, consisting of a mix of 2, 3, 4 bed houses and 2 bed flats with associated parking. The landscaping is scheduled to include open spaces and play areas. There will also be a pumping station ???
Purbrook Place – 03/10/2012
The, main, road access will be from Stakes Road but there will also be pedestrian access to Stakes Hill Road. and the nearby schools.
It is a shame that, at this time, Havant Borough Council and the Highways Agency haven’t taken the opportunity to revise the nearby roundabout which will bear the brunt of the additional vehicles that this development will bring.
The Purbrook Place development on its own will not increase the burden dramatically. However when you take into account the additional traffic that will come this way from other developments in the Waterlooville area then it is imperative that some improvements are made. I have posted previously regarding the difficulty that can be experienced trying to negotiating this roundabout. These difficulties are primarily caused by virtue of the fact that drivers do not “have” to stop.
WrAnTz 