Old Havant landfill site to be sold off for 'employment opportunities'

Brockhampton West, which sits south of the A27 and next to Harts Farm Way, is being deposed, meaning it will be sold off by Havant Borough Council.

But details about the sale have been kept confidential from members of the public and even councillors, with the council’s cabinet exclusively dealing with the issue.

Proposals were put forward by Councillor Tim Pike earlier this year, and now the council is pressing on with the sale process.

But concerns have been raised about whether the council will sell for the right price – or simply undercut the value for a quick buck.

Bob Comlay, chairman of the Havant Civic Society, said: ‘There’s just no transparency around the sale.

‘This may well be the right thing to do, because it’s a huge employment opportunity and Havant needs jobs, but I fear that it’ll go to a developer who will sell it on again, for a higher price.

'Covid-19 is being used as a smokescreen – the council needs to just take stock of the situation and the assets it has.’

Brockhampton West was transformed into a landfill site in 1969, and was used as such until the mid-1990s.

It has since served as a community football pitch, but over the past couple of years it has fallen into disrepair.

The green space was marked as a key strategic site in the council’s Opportunity Havant Regeneration Strategy, as it sits near Basepoint Business Centre, Budds Farm and Havant Lorry Park.

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Lambert Smith Hampton is serving as the broker on the deal.

Speaking on the matter at the last cabinet meeting, Cllr Pike told senior councillors that the need for council cash is not urgent, and called upon his colleagues to hold fire.

But fellow cabinet member Cllr Gary Hughes said: ‘We understand what the benefits of this disposal would be.

‘Were we to try and develop this ouselves, we would just slow the process down considerably.

‘The idea of having an employment site on our doorstep that could provide jobs for a huge number of residents has to be attractive.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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