New signs at Fort Blockhouse ban filming and photography as a matter of national security
The signs have been put up in recent days
Signs have been put up around Fort Blockhouse in Gosport prohibiting photography of the area, and threatening prosecution to anyone who is caught filming or taking photographs as a matter of national security.
The signs have been put up in recent days on the fencing surrounding Fort Blockhouse, a former military establishment in Gosport. The fort was the site of a migrant boat landing on October 4, which saw 150 migrants disembarking at Fort Blockhouse, sparking a protest in the area.
The new signage has caused speculation online that the area may be earmarked for a variety of uses in the future.
Yesterday (November 11) at Prime Minister’s Questions, Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, asked Andy Burnham to commit to not landing any more boats at Fort Blockhouse, however he did not make any assurances that the area would not be used again for disembarkation.
In 2016, the government marked Fort Blockhouse for disposal in 2020, however this date was pushed back. The fort is still owned by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and managed through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
A Defence Infrastructure Organisation spokesperson said: “The signs installed at Fort Blockhouse are to make members of the public aware of the various restrictions that apply to MOD property.
“It is common for MOD sites to have such signage, and these provisions of the National Security Act apply to all crown land that is in use for Defence purposes. The signs relate to the pre-existing status of the site and are not indicative of any future plans.”
Cllr Zoe Huggins, leader of Gosport Borough Council, said: “The Home Office has previously confirmed to us it has no plans for routine small boat landings at Fort Blockhouse, and we have had no new information suggesting any change to this plan.
“I believe the land around the site has always been restricted, and the new signs likely reflect recent events and the need for new signage.”
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the MP for Gosport, said: "I understand that these signs are there to warn people about the rules at the site, which have been in place for the last three years. The same rules apply to all MoD sites in Gosport (like HMS Sultan and Defence Munitions Gosport), which together make up 21% of our peninsula."