“We are fighting for Hayling Island’s future": "Abandoned" residents prepare to fight plans to build 300 new homes
Anger as residents fear allowing the homes will change Hayling Island forever
Battle lines are being drawn as “abandoned” Hayling Island residents prepare to take on developers who want to build 300 new homes - fearing it will lead to a devastating and irreversible change on the Island.
The Hayling Island Residents' Association, Save Rook Farm and Save Our Island have joined forces to oppose the planning application to develop farmland at Rook Farm in St Mary's Road - with housing, green spaces, play areas and new roads proposed.
“We are fighting for Hayling Island’s future,” explained chair of HIRA Anne Skennerton who said that there were fears that if the development will be allowed then it will open the floodgates for other development on the Island.
The plans were first submitted to Havant Borough Council in 2021. It led to more than 2,000 local residents expressing concerns about the loss of green space, air and noise pollution, a struggling sewage system and an already congested traffic network - with only one road on and off the Island.
But the council’s failure to make a decision over whether to approve or reject the plans has led to the applicant lodging an appeal with the independent Planning Inspectorate. The Inspectorate will now have the final say after a five-day inquiry next month.
And now residents have expressed outrage that Havant Borough Council will not be opposing the plans at the inquiry, instead leaving residents to take on the fight themselves after a last minute scramble over the Easter holidays to get a seat at the inquiry table.
A spokesperson for the residents’ groups said: “Local resident groups and Ward Councillors on Hayling Island have been left to mount their own legal defence of the local landscape after Havant Borough Council failed to determine a major planning application for Rook Farm, and subsequently declined to contest the developer’s appeal.
“In a move that has sparked local outrage, Havant Borough Council has confirmed it will not be contesting the appeal, effectively leaving a "vacuum" in the defence of the Island’s infrastructure and environmental heritage.”
The residents groups have appointed the legal firm Leigh Day to represent their interests thanks to a special legal status which has been granted allowing them to be at the planning inquiry to speak for local residents.
They have launched a £48,000 fundraising appeal to pay for specialist representation to act as a main party at the inquiry, giving them the right to provide evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and present a robust case against the development, in place of the council.
"It is a staggering abdication of responsibility," said a spokesperson for the resident coalition. "The community is now doing the job the council, to whom we pay our taxes, should be doing on our behalf.
“We are the ones hiring experts and preparing technical evidence to prove that our infrastructure simply cannot support another 300 homes on this site."
The community groups have said their case will focus on several critical issues that residents feel have been ignored or undervalued.
Concerns have also been raised about the impact of flooding; as well as the loss of high-quality agricultural land used for dark-bellied brent geese, deer and other wildlife; and the impact on the setting of nearby Grade II listed assets.
However Anne Skennerton explained that the lack of infrastructure on the island was many people’s number one concern - with the island currently effectively off limits for large scale development as a result of the roadwork.
No large sites on the island are allocated for housing in the local plan - the development blueprint for the area - because of the lack of infrastructure. But if the developer wins permission then this could set a precedent for other developers to made bids to build houses.
“We have one road in and one road out, and all it takes is for there to be an accident or a problem on the A3023 and everything stops - no-one can go anywhere,” she said. “We have no other way to get on and off the island.
“It affects the people who live here, the people who work here and all of the many visitors we have from the local area coming from places like Havant, Waterlooville and Portsmouth.
“If they win then it will effectively be open season on Hayling Island. I know the council has said that it cannot afford to fight this in case they lose, but Hayling Island simply cannot afford to not fight this.”
She added that she hoped the venue for the appeal hearing would take place on Hayling Island so that the planning inspector can experience the problems for themselves. However she said the venue currently proposed by Havant Borough Council was Havant Rugby Club.
Meanwhile the developer Barratt Homes is arguing that the traffic generated ‘would not result in severe impacts, either individually or cumulatively, on the transport network’ arguing that green transport links can be created. It has also said the site was suitable to provide much-needed homes for the area.
A previous application for 210 homes for the same site was submitted in December 2016 and refused in April 2017.
A spokesperson for Havant Borough Council said: “In respect of the appeal process this commenced at the instigation of the applicant who decided not to continue negotiating with the Council Planning Officers and to lodge an appeal against non-determination. Once an appeal against non -determination is lodged in practical terms, this means that the Council no longer has the power of decision making and the appeal process is under the jurisdiction of the Planning Inspectorate.
“In this case due to a time constraint imposed by the Planning Inspectorate, a decision was made by the Council to produce an appeal statement of case where the Council's position was set out and in summary was not to defend the appeal at the forthcoming Inquiry.
“The Rule 6 party process has been invoked by local residents who have employed a planning consultant to represent them at the Inquiry as they don’t agree with the Council’s position in this appeal and seek to challenge the appellant’s evidence at the Inquiry.
“The inquiry itself commences at 10am Tuesday 23 June and then starts at 9.30am on Wednesday 24 June, Thursday 25 June, Tuesday 30 June, Wednesday 1 July and Thursday 2 July.
“The venue for the inquiry – which the public can attend or view the proceedings online - is currently being finalised.”
More than half of the money needed for the appeal has already been raised. To donate to the fundraising appeal visit www.haylingresidentsassociation.co.uk/rook-farm-appeal