Tipner East: 200 homes plan for Portsmouth site set for approval

Councillors had been due to decide the Bellway Homes scheme for the land north of Stamshaw Junior School in May but deferred a decision due to confusion around flooding and access issues.

But a new report has now been published ahead of their next meeting on Wednesday (July 12) recommending that planning permission be granted.

The application was submitted in 2021 after sections of the site, which includes the now-demolished greyhound stadium, were bought by Homes England in a bid to bring forward its development.

It proposes the construction of 221 homes, one-third of which will be affordable and the developer had been aiming to start work later this year.

But the scheme has drawn opposition from people living nearby with concerns largely one of the proposes access points via Tipner Lane with hundreds signing a position against it.

The road is proposed to serve one-fifth of the new homes but councillors said they were concerned the lack of any physical barrier preventing continued use of the road through the whole development would mean this is not controlled.

The developer had originally planned to install bollards to enforce the legal access restriction but this was shelved after the council requested it be kept open to allow access for a future bus route to the park and ride.

Committee members also said there was a lack of information around flood prevention measures.

‘I don’t think it would be appropriate for us to approve this without a bit more detail,’ its vice-chairwoman Judith Smyth said backing the May deferral. ‘We cannot make a clear and reasonable decision without it. It’s extremely difficult to see what is proposed.’

The new report says the site is at a low risk of flooding and that no concerns were raised by the Environment Agency.

And it says the developer and council have now agreed to install ‘temporary planters or bollards to prevent people driving between the Tipner Lane and Twyford Avenue access points through the new estate.