You couldn’t really make that headline up. To be fair, Portsmouth Water sold the land by auction a few years ago, leaving Foreman Homes with the challenge of building 120 homes in one of the least hospitable corners of Havant. Set between Flood Zone 1 and Flood Zone 3, alongside the constant road roar of the A27, and with Southern Water’s sewage farm as the nearest neighbours on the other side of the strategic highway.
Even Southern Water warned them against it:
“Southern Water has reviewed the report submitted by SLR, and we object to the proposed development on the grounds that odour impact risk from Budds Farm Havant WwTW has not been adequately represented in the submitted study. The assessment lacks sufficient source detail and robust site-specific data to accurately evaluate the potential odour impact on future residents of the Kingscroft Farm development.”
It seems that we find ourselves strangely in agreement with Southern Water over the value of documentation generated by Portsmouth Water’s chosen consulting partner.
If you haven’t quite placed where these 120 homes are going to be built, imagine yourself travelling from Havant town centre towards the queue at the Bedhampton railway gates. When you get to the point below, just before the car dealership, Meyrick Road is on your left.
On your right hand side lie the four sites submitted to the local plan by the landowner, Richmond Motors. When the market conditions are right, it would not be unreasonable to expect future applications to squeeze another 100 homes onto those sites. Just beyond Meyrick Road, the last turning on your left before you reach the level crossing queue, is Palk Road, already sold off by Portsmouth Water to Bellway Homes and approved for development of around 90 homes.
The development sites covered in the planning application being decided by the committee are in the spots marked by the yellow ‘X’s, below.
So that’s 310 new homes so far and we’ve not counted the Abrams Way houses between Meyrick Road and Brockhampton Road, which have been built out and occupied for quite a while. That land was sold by Portsmouth Water in a previous deal, apart from the property kept back to form the Ranelagh Road ransom strip.
Add on another 135 houses proposed for the West Street site of Portsmouth Water’s current headquarters building once the company has built its new headquarters in Solent Road and we’re looking at around 450 new homes coming to West Street. That’s 450 homes-worth of patients who will probably be coming to the nearest GP practice over the next decade.
According to Hampshire County Council Highways, access should be a doddle, the new cycle path which will be provided along Solent Road to the east will see to that. The residents heading west will be able to carry their bikes, prams and scooters over the Bedhampton railway footbridge on the days when that’s open, and if any of the new residents have cars, they can escape the railway trap by taking the switchback ride along Harts Farm Way to the A27 ‘teardrop’ junction.
Performance of the Day goes to Councillor Hulls for his mostly sensible interjections, though to be honest there was a good standard of questioning and debate by many on the committee, even if the outcome was a foregone conclusion. It is worth listening out for Councillor Horton asking why the new developments couldn’t be accessed from Marples Way, and to other questions and answers relating to the siting of bollards to prevent the new residents from escaping by car through Ranelagh Road. Portsmouth Water’s strategically-placed ransom strips have been causing headaches for planners and councillors for years.
Quote of the day goes to Councillor Keast for this: “I’m rather surprised that Southern Water has has come up with an objection on Portsmouth Water’s land. It’s quite amusing really because normally they work hand in hand together.” His quip about the term ’tilted balance’ was quite entertaining too.
You can view the meeting below. It’s worth watching to see your council in action before they get reorganised and disbanded.
Havant Civic Society 
That totally unprofessional presentation does not give one much faith in the ability of the Council to properly assess planning matters.
T
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the Havant councillors just don’t listen so why bother most of the locals know the problems and the congestion it will cause let alone lack amenities or the lack of
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West St and the Bedhampton Crossing are just too near the proposed houses. Traffic already jams while trains cross, the queues are long. With all the parking in West Street, where will residents go? The road seems narrower than standard. There are already jams around the entrance to shops car park opposite Tesco. The many extra cars coming off Hayling make queues into Havant shops and the traffic coming into Havant block the main road. At Langstone we are conscious of this so we pity residents in the threatened area of development.
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