'No truth whatsoever' - 'Frightened' Gosport resident fears of homes being demolished are rejected
“Frightened” residents' fears of houses being demolished as part of a regeneration scheme in Gosport have been dismissed as having “no truth whatsoever”.
“Angry” locals in Rowner have been left anxious over Gosport Borough Council’s Local Plan 2042 which they believed could lead to them being turfed out their homes.
However, these concerns have been rejected by the council and Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage, who said of the plan: “It does not mean the council is planning to demolish residents’ homes. Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply spreading untruths.”
Meanwhile, a council spokesperson added: “There is no truth whatsoever in any suggestion the council or anyone else is going to or planning to demolish homes in Rowner, this is simply not true.
“Within our draft Local Plan there is a regeneration policy for the Rowner area, which means that should funding become available in the future, we would have a planning position to consider community-led applications to invest in facilities in Rowner.
“To be clear, there are no plans to demolish local homes. Separately, the council has been awarded up to £20m Pride in Place funding for a Rowner regeneration project, which is about improving infrastructure and creating new community spaces, which the community will lead."
Fears were ignited during a “poorly” communicated public hearing earlier this week that left people worried their homes were going to be “bulldozed” in the next year.
One resident told The News: “We have been informed that we could all lose our homes in the not too distant future (it could be 10 months) and do not even have the certainty of being re-housed in Gosport or being re-housed at all. This also goes for the private sector whose home would be compulsory purchased.
“The worst thing about this is the secrecy, the council said parties were informed of their intentions, but none of us have been told anything, because the council knew that we would lodge objections to it.”
Another local said: “The council have said they have had public meetings and have given out leaflets to the residents of Rowner. This is a lie. No one knew anything about this and the people of Rowner still have no idea they are about to lose their homes.”
A consultation is currently open to residents until April 16 after opening to the public on March 5, though many residents have said they were unaware of the proposals and of having the opportunity to give their input until the public meeting this week.
The Local Plan, which sets out a vision for the area and identifies where development could take place, does include a policy for the Rowner area. However, in addressing residents' concerns over whether there are “any proposals to redevelop any of the housing stock” in the area, the plan states: “No, there are no development proposals for the area.”
Responding to a frequently asked question about why there is a policy for Rowner in the proposals, the plan adds: “The policy is there in case proposals and funding become available in the future to redevelop or refurbish the older housing stock.
“The policy is aspirational and does not contain any specific proposals but it helps to provide a framework over the local plan period to 2042 in case any proposals come forward.”
A separate document in the Local Plan said there are “no firm proposals” with “potential types of uses identified that could take place if circumstances change”.
Referring to The Alver Village scheme in Rowner which provided “new quality homes”, the document adds: “If opportunities arise to take a similar approach it will be necessary for a community-led masterplan to be produced involving residents and other community partners.”
Ms Dinenage, seeking to allay fears, said in a statement: “Rowner has long been identified as a regeneration area, including in the 2011–2029 Local Plan, which led to developments like the new Tesco and new Alver Valley housing development. In the latest draft Local Plan, a small part of Rowner has again been identified as potentially suitable for regeneration.
“This reflects the fact that some housing in the area remains lower quality and, as funding becomes available in future, should be prioritised for improvement. The Local Plan also suggests Rowner could benefit from new open spaces, pedestrian and cycle routes, and accessible community facilities.
“It does not mean the council is planning to demolish residents’ homes. Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply spreading untruths.
“It’s important to be clear that this is about the council working with local residents on how they would like to see their area used in future. It is not a fixed rulebook on what will happen. For example, the plan identifies the Criterion site for built leisure, but we all know that is unlikely to come forward any time soon.
“The Local Plan sets out key proposals, allocates land for development, protects our green spaces, and establishes the policies the council will use to determine planning applications.”
Rowner homeowner Lisa Hill, responding to Ms Dinenage’s statement, said residents were “frightened and angry” after the Local Plan was discussed at the public meeting this week.
And despite Ms Dinenage’s comments, Ms Hill said fears still persist. “Having a document from a Member of Parliament that our family home is safe and we will never receive a compulsory purchase order would go a long way to settle the worry this is causing all the families living in this area,” she said.
She added: “I doubt any of us will receive this reassurance though, living with this kind of uncertainty is extremely upsetting for the families who have their whole life in this area. No such documents outlining large scale demolition areas would ever exist for other areas of Gosport and yet there are plenty of areas that need regeneration.”
Penny Harris, who also attended the meeting, said in response to Ms Dinenage: “This isn't what we have been led to believe, I went to the meeting and came away with totally different information as did everyone there. I’m so confused what is true and what isn't.”
Bridgemary councillor Paul Carter said he has been attempting to “put the rumour mill to bed” after the Local Plan had been “communicated poorly” during the meeting by a ward councillor.
The Reform councillor said it should have been delivered by the council in a “true consultation” with a question and answer session. “The approach that has been taken is not the correct one and could have been done so much better,” he added.
A Local Plan session is taking place at the Nimrod Community Centre on 8 April, 4 - 6pm, where officers will be there to listen to any concerns and answer any questions.