Developers' forum could help residents '˜shape' 260-home Emsworth plan

DEVELOPERS of a proposal for 260 new homes in Emsworth are inviting residents to a meeting to discuss the plans.

Land & Partners is holding a development consultation forum that will discuss the proposed development at Long Copse Lane in Emsworth on Tuesday, April 17 at 6pm in The Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant.

Members of the public can attend the forum to listen to the developer explain their proposals directly to councillors and officers, with the option of completing feedback forms with their individual comments at the end of the meeting.

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The forum comes after Emsworth residents previously told The News they fear their village is being destroyed – following a public exhibition of the plans at the end of March.

Among the crowds attending was Ray Cobbett, who coordinates Friends of the Earth for Havant and East Hampshire.

Weighing in on the benefits the forthcoming DCF could pose for Emsworth residents, he said: ‘I have been to many of these forums and I find they are less about opposition to a development itself, but the finer details of what it could include.

‘What this DCF will do, hopefully, is give people a chance to communicate with developers and shape the build.

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‘I would say it’s a time to think about specific areas – possibly about site entrances, the amount of community space, the quantity of social housing and the environmental impact.’

Through feedback from residents and councillors, it is hoped the DCF will enable Land & Partners to become better informed about local expectations before submitting a planning application.

Havant Borough Council’s head of planning, Andrew Biltcliffe, said: ‘These forums are a popular way for developers to recognise and address community concerns before submitting their formal planning application.’

No decisions about the proposals are made at the forum.

For more information visit havant.gov.uk/development-consultation-forums