Gosport has no idea where to build 'extra' new homes for government housebuilding targets

The government made a pre-election pledge to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, and is now set to hike Gosport’s target by 31 per cent, from 339 to 465 houses per year.

A council report on the proposed reforms to the National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) showed that between 1982 and 2024 only 215 homes were completed per year. At a recent meeting, a council officer said the most recent local plan sets out to deliver 170 homes per year and that due to certain difficulties such as land availability, it will more likely be 165 homes, not the 465 proposed.

Part of the government’s proposed changes include housing targets being switched from advisory to mandatory in order to meet its housing commitments. The NPPF said Gosport borough will need to “demonstrate the hard constraints on land supply and delivery, such as existing National Parks protected habitats and flood risk areas to justify lower housing requirements”.

Gosport borough is surrounded on three sides by sea and has sustained flooding along parts of its coastline – last month Leesland Road saw flooding. Council proposed sea defences projects currently lack much needed government funding support for areas of coastal erosion.

While Gosport Borough Council agreed in its policy and organisation board meeting on September 30 to support the government’s NPPF, it is at a loss as to where the proposed new houses will be built.

It will turn to other local authorities in the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) for support to fill its unmet housing need which will rise from 2,719 to 4,735.

Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has written to the government and said the methodology of calculating the housing numbers for Gosport is increasing the housing target “four-fold” and in not considering its demographic profile is “misguided.

At the meeting, opposition leader Councillor Stephen Philpott (Con, Peel Common) asked for an amendment to the documents regarding strategic gaps and a comment on brownfield site priorities. He said that the public do not see a difference between a green belt and the strategic gap but the gap is important to separate settlements, wards and boroughs and must not be used to build housing.

Gosport borough doesn’t have a green belt and will not be affected by the new Labour policy to build on low-quality green belt defined as ‘grey belt’, said the council officer. It does however have strategic gaps that members felt must be protected in law. Green belts came out of post World War II housing legislation and the strategic gap is part of local plan policy, not law and doesn’t carry the same importance, said the council officer.

Councillor Philip Raffaelli (Con, Anglesey) said: “The concept of protecting strategic gaps is important.” Leader Councillor Chegwyn agreed that a paragraph be added to the revised NPPF document back to the government.

Cllr Philpott said that prioritising brownfield sites is acceptable in principle but the council were not taking the opportunity to build on the old bus station development now known as the The People’s park project. Both Cllr Culley and Cllr Bob Hylands said it was not viable to build on the site and there is no high request for another housing tower on it.

Gosport BC draft local plan, the development blueprint for the area, is looking to build 3,500 houses up to 2038. Urban regeneration proposals include three areas in the borough; Daedalus, Rowner/HMS Sultan and Harbour. Harbour plans include 440 homes proposed at Gosport Waterfront, 550 homes at Gosport Town Centre and 760 homes at Haslar Peninsula. Blockhouse and Gunboat Sheds propose up to 350 homes and Fort Block house may see a further 150 homes.

The government has said it will respond to the consultation and publish revisions to the NPPF before the end of the year so that policy changes can take effect as soon as possible.