Dear Members
Planning Matters
Many members have commented on two planning related matters in the last couple of weeks:
a. Old Street fields. Surveyors have been at work this week in and beside the Old Street fields which were the subject of the application for up to 150 houses by Bargate Homes in 2017, refused by FBC and dismissed on appeal by the Planning Inspector in 2019.
At our request, our councillors have spoken to the FBC planning officer whose response today, I regret to say, is:
“I have been in touch with Bargate Homes who submitted the previously refused planning application for the construction of up to 160 dwellings at Land West of Old Street (P/17/1451/OA). The subsequent appeal was dismissed in January 2018 [It was Jan 2019 PC]
“It has been confirmed that the surveyors are carrying out a land survey to update the topographical survey with a view to submitting a pre-app to the Council within the next few months for a development on a smaller parcel of land than before, excluding the bird mitigation land that has been created and the planting buffer that has been established since that time.
“Bargate will undertake direct public consultation with local residents in due course in advance of submission of any planning application”.
Since the planning appeal was dismissed, the two fields have been effectively divided into three horizontal sections:
· The lowest section, furthest from the road, was committed by Bargate in mitigation for loss of habitat for Brent geese and other Solent waders at a site off Newgate Lane where they obtained planning consent for a development. Not a lot of Brent geese seem to be interested in it, but the Canada geese certainly are.
· The middle section has been planted with saplings. We assume that this has been done by Bargate as a result of the Planning Inspector commenting that any housing development on the site would be unsightly when viewed from the canal and the Haven. These trees, when mature, are presumably intended to provide some degree of screening if houses were ever built on the section of the fields nearest Old Street.
· That final section remains as ‘the horse fields’ which is the area relevant to Bargate’s potential application.
FBC now has a Local Plan, approved last year, which demonstrates the council's ability to meet its 'Five Year Housing Land Supply' (5YHLS) during the period to 2037. In that Local Plan, the fields are not shown as being available for housing. Given that, in 2019, the Planning Inspector dismissed Bargate's appeal for the larger scheme at a time when FBC was not able to meet its 5YHLS, any developer would face a challenge at both application and appeal. However, this would be a smaller scheme, further from the Haven boundary and it seems that Bargate is preparing to give it a try. Please be assured HHRA will be very much 'on the case' and will keep you informed.
b. Local people have noted the marketing by Savills of three fields between Peak Lane and Titchfield Road, north of Oakcroft Lane, described as being an ‘edge of settlement development opportunity’. In the Local Plan, this area is, again, clearly shown as not being available for housing, but this would not necessarily stop a developer making a speculative (expensive) purchase and putting the fields in their ‘land bank’ possibly in anticipation of changing targets in future.
Haven House
Speaking of Savills…. there is no further news about the sale of Haven House since the decision by HCC on 21 December to sell to a private buyer. Councillor Oppenheimer’s hope that he would be able to introduce Titchfield Haven Community Hub (THCH) to the purchaser when contracts were exchanged, which he suggested might be late February/early March, has clearly not yet been achieved and Savills are still marketing it. THCH trustees will be contacting Councillor Oppenheimer after Easter and inquiring about progress.
Broadband poles
The story continues regarding telegraph poles being erected by broadband provider toob. Some have been removed, some have not and some more have been put up. Our MP Caroline Dinenage has been active and a letter has been sent to broadband providers by the Minister, urging them to use existing infrastructure wherever possible (underground and poles) and also to consult effectively with local people. The following article in the Daily Echo covers the story well:
Planning underway to introduce Simpler Recycling in Fareham
Fareham Borough Council is beginning its preparations to introduce 'Simpler Recycling' to Fareham.
Required under the Environment Act 2021, 'Simpler Recycling' aims to increase household recycling rates by making it possible for people across the country to recycle the same materials without needing to check what their council will accept.
The Council currently operates an alternate weekly waste and recycling collection service for plastic bottles, card, paper, tins, cans and aerosols, with a glass and textiles able to be taken to nearby bank sites across the Borough.
Introducing Simpler Recycling means that food waste will be collected separately in Fareham on a weekly basis, glass must be collected from residents' kerbside and a greater range of recyclables must be collected in recycling bins - including plastic pots, tubs, trays, cartons, paper and card, and metal cans.
These services must be in place by 31 March 2026 and the Council is expecting capital funding to be provided for the purchase of new food waste collection vehicles and food waste bins: an announcement was made on 27 March about funding to introduce food waste collection for councils including Fareham.
Voter ID
In our Update of 29 February we set out details of the photographic ID you will need if you wish to vote in person (as opposed to by postal vote) on 2 May. That Update is on our website www.hhra.org.uk About Us Latest News.
Website
Speaking of the website, do browse every so often in www.hhra.org.uk We post past Updates so you can remind yourself of what has been circulated. There is also a wealth of useful contact information eg local councillors, our MP, Transport, Local Associations and much more, as well as a slightly updated version of John Lewthwaite’s History of the Osborne View.
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