Daedalus waterfront development in Gosport approved as councillors celebrate milestone decision

During a recent regulatory board meeting, Gosport Borough councillors unanimously approved the Daedalus Waterfront development in Lee-on-Solent.

The project, which is being led by Daedalus Development Company, will see up to 262 homes of different sizes, 15,000 sq m of employment space, 48 retirement/care apartments, 17,500 sq m of commercial space, a museum and public open spaces.

Speaking to the committee, councillor John Beavis said the hybrid application is the “most important” the council has determined “in a long time”.

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“Daedalus closed in 1996 as a military establishment and since then we’ve had a number of interested developers who have come forward with completely unacceptable proposals.

“I appreciate the plan will take 10 years to complete but at last on completion Daedalus will be back again as a part of our community. I’m delighted to see such an excellent proposal.”

Cllr Kevin Casey stressed the historical significance of HMS Daedalus, stating the “site cannot be forgotten”.

“This site has a lot of heritage and history in many strands. I hope that the developer will highlight that in some ways – I don’t want to see boards everywhere around the site but there are subtle ways of doing it.”

Cllr Steve Hammond, chairman of the regulatory board, said he hoped members could support the scheme “because Gosport needs it, we need the jobs, we need something done with that site, it’s wasted as it is at the moment”.

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Councillors unanimously approved the hybrid application. The board will meet again to assess reserved matters applications concerning the design, size, and look of a section of the development.

HMS Daedalus began as a seaplane base in 1917 during the First World War. It played a vital role in naval aviation, serving as a training centre and supporting seaplane operations.

During the Second World War, HMS Daedalus became a primary training hub for Royal Navy aviators, contributing to the defence of the English Channel and the D-Day landings.