Hayling Island 195-homes plan '˜will not be considered' until after council's infrastructure reports

Developer Barratt Homes wants to build the properties on land off Sinah Lane, Hayling Island. The scheme has attracted almost 340 objections.

Since the application to Havant Borough Council was submitted in July objectors have cited traffic concerns and fears the A3023 '“ the only road on and off the island '“ will not be able to handle the extra number of people.

The Langstone Residents' Association said in its letter: '˜The A3023 is acknowledged to be an overloaded road frequently brought to a standstill by the volume of vehicles trying to move along its length.

'˜It cannot be altered to increase its capacity, meaning Langstone and the southern part of Havant become gridlocked several times a day.

'˜Political undertakings were given to place an embargo on more development south of the A27 until the results of the island's transport assessment were known.

'˜That promise should be honoured and this application rejected. Traffic is intolerable for existing residents attempting to access the A3023.'

Havant Borough Council said it will take longer than the statutory time frame of 13 weeks to determine the application.

It is working on the following assessments, which are due to be published alongside the next stage of the Havant's Local Plan 2036 early next year: the borough-wide Infrastructure Delivery Plan, the borough-wide Transport Assessment and the Hayling Island Highway and Transport Infrastructure Assessment.

Until these have been published plans for the 195 homes will not be considered.

A spokesperson for the council said: '˜In the event that additional information is received and published which has a significant bearing on the application, it is anticipated the council will undertake further publicity on it so interested parties have the opportunity to update their comments in light of the new information.'

Stuart Goodwill, head of planning for Barratt Homes Southampton, said: '˜Following our public engagement we have worked hard to evolve a comprehensive master plan for the site.

'˜Our new homes will provide a fantastic opportunity for local people to stay on Hayling Island rather than moving further afield to the mainland.'