Waterlooville Masterplan: Latest plans for the town's regeneration unveiled to the public

Havant Borough Council have initiated the next stage of their Waterlooville Masterplan with draft content put on display to the public at the old Game shop, 95 London Road. The plans, which are on display between Thursday, March 14 and Saturday, March 17, show an ambitious vision for the town centre which has been neglected for a number of years.

While the town is currently dominated by vacant shops, the plans show a park, green spaces and easy access for pedestrians and cyclists. The council, and landowner of Wellington Way, Questmap, are looking to bring residential flats into the centre while also holding art festivals to give people reasons to visit beyond just shopping.

Conservative councillor, Gwen Robinson, of Havant Borough Council was delighted to be able to unveil these plans and hear feedback from the public. She said: "I am incredibly excited and I am really pleased with the response we have had on day one, and it's still very early. We have had a lot of people coming in. This means a lot to the residents of Waterlooville, many that have lived here all of their life. Their feedback will have a huge impact.

"We are not saying to people, this is what you want. We want residents to come along, which they have done, young and old. We have had children come along who are very switched on, and know what they want, and everything that they tell us will have an impact on the final masterplan and the vision moving forwards."

There are a number of short term plans which have been revealed, including the collaboration with an as yet unnamed local artist to decorate the side of buildings, and pop-up retail spaces to support emerging brands and entrepreneurs. However, the longer term plans are reliant on the finalising of the masterplan.

Cllr Robinson said: "The time frame for the quick wins is around six to twelve months but it will be a little while for the longer term ones. We need to get the supplementary planning document done which will come from all of the consultations. Once the masterplan is done we can then apply for various government funding pots for regeneration. In order for them to give us money they need a very clear and structured plan and that is what the masterplan will be."

One of the key features of the plans is for the town centre to be divided into five different section, each with its own unique features and character. While the town centre is fairly small, the project hopes to create unique districts in Maurepas Way, St George's Walk, London Road North, London Road South and Stakes Hill.

The plans have already drawn local business owners to the exhibition as they look at the viability of operating in the area in the future. Tony Childs is the managing director of GC Bike Repairs which has three stores across Portsmouth and Gosport. Tony said: "Waterlooville is an area that we are looking to expand into, Waterlooville or Havant, we are not sure where yet. This was an interesting opportunity for us to look at the development plans. I think it is really exciting, clearly all town centres have similar challenges but revitalising high streets is critical."

There were a number of features that stood out to Tony that would suit his business. He added: "The mix of residential and retail is interesting and the fact that they are looking for through routes for cyclists makes a lot of sense for us as well because that is our business. Also it just looks a friendlier, less concrete, urban environment and that is something that is very important."

Alongside business owners, members of the public were also pleased with what they saw at the exhibition. Keith Todd, from Cowplain, said: "It is very impressive, there is a lot of work that has gone into it. The town needs a sort out, it's quite a depressing place. All of the green areas, walk ways, stood out to me and the improvements to the whole area. I think everyone can accept that it is quite a depressing hole at the moment but the plans look good, as long as they come to pass."

The gallery and exhibition will be open from 8am to 9pm on Friday, March 15 and 8am to 5pm on Saturday, March 16. If you are unable to make it in person, the plans and feedback form can be found online.

For further details on the masterplan watch the video embedded in this article.