Gosport Borough Council agrees £325,000 sale of Blake Maternity Home to build social housing

The old Blake Maternity Home site, along with land at Ham Lane, has been sold to Vivid Homes for development following a formal valuation by external valuers. Vivid will pay Gosport Borough Council £325,000 for the freehold land and empty property to build seven new homes at social rents, capped at local housing allowance rates.

The council’s policy and organisation board chair and leader of the council Councillor Peter Chegwyn said it’s a “win, win, win”.

Concerns were raised that land could be overdeveloped as, if the council’s planning department grants permission for more than seven homes, the council will be paid an extra £10,000 per home.

While he welcomed the sale, Councillor Stephen Philpott (Con, Peel Common) said: “I hope it doesn’t compromise the regulatory board in any way, bearing in mind the regulatory board will be asked to adjudicate on the number of units that go in there. The more units built the more money for the council. Fingers crossed it won’t cause a problem.”

Cllr Chegwyn (Forton) joked that the developer may want to build a 17-storey council block, to which Cllr Philpott said: “Well, you are running the council.”

Labour councillor June Culley (Harbourside and Town) said: “[Housing] is something that is desperately needed in the borough.”

She said the council was looking for empty properties, some in disrepair, to give people homes.