FROM THE CHAIRMAN
David Jones
Hampshire Farm
A recent visit to the County Council provided an opportunity to
question the Leader, Mr Ken Thornber, on the subject of housing numbers
in the future. The county is required to build 68,290 houses (plus a
further 12,000 in four separate major developments) during the current
planning period, which ends in 2011. As has been mentioned before, if
this figure is unlikely to be achieved, then the County Council is
required to increase the rate of building by calling forward extra land
from reserve sites as already identified in local plans. The Leader
repeated what David Gillett had told us at our October QGM, that the
figures for Hampshire would definitely meet the target so there were no
grounds for worry, but! Why does there always have to be a ‘but’?
The government has recently issued instructions to County Councils,
certainly those in the South East, to produce plans for a 20% and 40%
increase over the existing figure of 68,290. No date has been given for
activating either figure, though it is already expected that the
Spatial Structure Plan for the South East, now being developed by part
of the future Regional Government Body in Guildford, will ‘take over’
in 2006, i.e. before the end of the local plan timeframe. Although we
do not yet know the implications of this Spatial Structure Plan, it
seems quite possible that the threat of development at Hampshire Farm
will continue, independent of its probable status as a reserve site.
Traffic Survey
One of the consequences of the recent public meeting, held to discuss
proposals to develop the land between the bridges to the east of New
Brighton Road, with its associated traffic light controlled access, was
the focussing of minds on the heavy traffic load already carried by
that stretch of road (and, of course, North Street) and its vital
importance to Emsworth as a whole, particularly as it cannot be
widened. (see ‘Eleven Thousand Vehicles a Day’).
The Council’s draft proposals for the local plan, following the public
inquiry includes the development, also for industrial purposes, of the
land to the west between the railway and the bypass. Access would also
have to come from the same stretch of road between the bridges. Thus we
may have the prospects of access being required from both sides of New
Brighton Road. How much extra traffic can North Street take before
residents who live north of the A27 will be avoiding North Street and
going to Havant, Southbourne or Chichester for their shopping?
When discussing planning, ‘Build the houses first and we’ll worry about
roads, schools and other services later’ seems to be the norm. The
Leader of HCC when discussing housing figures (see Hampshire Farm
above) made the point very strongly that the County could not handle
20% or 40% extra housing without all the necessary infrastructure being
in place first (and even then at enormous environmental cost). It is to
be hoped that the Borough Council conduct a very thorough examination
of the implications to Emsworth before any development off New Brighton
Road between the bridges is approved.
Havant Borough-Wide Local Plan
When the Borough Council, first by its Executive Committee and then the
full Council, have considered and agreed the detailed proposals of the
planning staff to accept or modify the public inquiry Inspectors
recommendations they will be published for consideration by the public
over a six week period, probably starting at the end of January.
Notices will be put on the notice board and an item will be included in
the agenda for the next QGM on 24th January. Link
A27 re-surfacing
Following pressure over many years and protracted correspondence, not
least by David Willetts, our MP, he has just confirmed that each end of
the Emsworth bypass is, at long last, to be resurfaced. Work will be
carried out in stages over approximately 30 nights between January and
April 2005. Exact timings will depend primarily on the weather.
Resurfacing will be confined to lengths between Havant Interchange and
Old Farm Lane, and Fishbourne roundabout and Clay Lane, i.e. where it
is closest to the more concentrated housing. The A27 will be closed
during the nights when work is in progress and traffic diverted along
the A259. Resurfacing of the rest of the bypass will remain in the
programme for 2004/05 and 2005/06.
Emsworth Design Statement
Progress on the EDS continues and we plan to hold an exhibition of a
draft in International House in the Square 12 - 5pm Friday 11 and
9am-5pm Saturday 12 February for the express purpose of getting your
comments before the document is submitted to the Council. Link
The Council will later be giving residents a six-week ‘window’ during
which to comment, just as it does for a draft of the local plan.