Residents prepare for fight against new homes plan
Thousands of new homes are destined to be built in the Havant borough as a controversial plan for the future of the area is submitted to the government.
Havant Borough Council will hand over the plan that will set in motion how Havant, Leigh Park, Emsworth, Waterlooville and Hayling Island develop over the next two decades.
More than 6,300 new homes have been earmarked for greenfield and brownfield sites in order to meet government housebuilding targets for south Hampshire.
Residents now have six weeks to comment on the document - called the Core Strategy - before it is handed to the government for approval.
Hayling and Emsworth residents have already said they will fight it.
Emsworth has been earmarked for another 752 homes between now and 2026 and Hayling is set to get 597 homes.
Specific sites for the two communities have not been mentioned in the report. But it is possible that up to 50 per cent of the homes could be on greenfield sites.
Paul Fisher, chairman of Hayling Island Residents' Association, said: 'We feel Hayling has already got its fair share.
'Residents feel the island doesn't need the development. We feel further housing strains the infrastructure of Hayling and the road system.
'We feel Hayling is a special case because it's an island and the nature of the bridge and road.'
Lorraine Clode, chairman of Emsworth Residents' Association, said: 'There are strategic gaps between Emsworth and its neighbouring communities which we want to protect.
'Our main concern is sacrificing these. We are realistic. We certainly don't oppose every single one. But it's a big number for a small town like Emsworth.'
Plans also include 1,825 homes in Havant, 1,021 for Leigh Park 1,021, and 1,901 in Waterlooville, which will be the Major Development Area.
The council has identified that many of the homes could be built between 2012 and 2017.
Councillor David Guest, who is in charge of sustainable development in Havant, said: 'We have met the requirement for the allocation and proved we can allocate them. But every s site will be considered on its merits, as any normal planning application.'
Cllr Susan Stocker, Lib Dem leader in Havant, said she wished the number of homes was less.
'I think it's going to be extremely difficult to achieve these numbers,' she added.
Labour Cllr Richard Brown said: 'My biggest concern is what happens when a developer wants to develop a site. 'There's very little the council can do to refuse it.'
>> Vote in our latest web poll.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 15 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
